Samsung devices locked as Vietnamese users fall for update scam

Hoang Thong’s two devices were recently locked four days after accessing a website that allows him to register to try the latest update, One UI 7 beta.

This is a major user interface update that Samsung users have been expecting for a long time.

Seeing the link on a social media advertisement, Thong entered his login credentials and was told that he was not eligible for beta testing.

He did not have any suspicion because the website was designed similarly to those of Samsung. But four days later his smartphone and tablet which used the same account were locked.

A phone number was shown on the screen so he can contact to unlock, but unreachable. Samsung store technicians told Thong that the only option now is to factory reset the devices, which means he would lose all data.

A locked Samsung smartphone is pictured after the owner accessed a link which turned out to be a scam. Photo courtesy of Tran Lam

On a social media group of Samsung users, dozens of people have fallen for the same trap.

"Many people blamed me for accessing the fake website. I did not give the website any information, and only pressed the login button," said The Nam, a victim.SmartThings is a tool developed by Samsung to help users manage their devices.

The scam website has a similar address and design to Samsung’s SmartThings app. Any user who taps on the login button will voluntarily give the scammers their username and password.

Samsung Vietnam said it has received reports on the issue and is investigating them.

The fake website is currently inaccessible. Tran Lam, a smartphone repairman in Hanoi, said that many people have asked him to help unlock their devices in recent days.

Lam said he can only offer help in some cases, as the success of unlocking these devices depend on the hardware and software of each model.