Social media in Laos has seen a growing number of fraudulent accounts emerging on several platforms, particularly Facebook, which remains the most widely used application in the country, according to online reports.
On 28 April, Lao Airlines issued a warning on their Facebook page, alerting the public to a scam operation that misuses the airline’s official logo to create fake advertisements. These fraudulent ads promote unrealistic offers, attempting to trick individuals into paying money for false memberships.
The scam is also prevalent among local news media pages, including Laopost, Tholakhong, and Pakaad, all of which have issued respective announcements warning their followers to beware of counterfeit accounts operating under their names.
Lao Phatthana, another prominent media page, also posted a warning, urging individuals to be cautious of the numerous fake accounts impersonating local news outlets. The warning explained that scammers are increasingly working in teams to deceive victims for personal gain.
These fraudulent accounts often post advertisements with links that, when clicked, lead to information theft, potentially resulting in significant financial losses for victims.
Despite the rising wave of online fraud, Lao authorities were able to arrest a woman named Phetmany from Mixay village, Paksan district, Bolikhamxay Province, on 4 March. Phetmany had been posing as an agent since 2022, offering train and airline ticket bookings online through Facebook, causing millions of kip in losses. According to her confession, after successfully stealing money from her victims, she would block them and change her account name.
Currently, authorities are continuing their investigation and gathering more evidence to identify additional victims.
Lao social media users are advised to exercise caution before sharing content to prevent the spread of false information that could lead to negative consequences.