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Authorities in Hanoi are determined to catch the growing number of scam artists roaming around Hoan Kiem Lake. A decision has been made that those found guilty of scamming tourists will receive stronger and stricter punishments.
Hanoi hopes to put an end to tourist scams which tarnish the city’s image
The People’s Committee of Hanoi has just directed the People’s Committee of Hoan Kiem District to lead and coordinate with relevant agencies for checking and imposing severe punishments against those who are involved in scams around Hoan Kiem Lake. Recent reports of tourists being ripped-off have caused public outcry.
Furthermore, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism, the Hanoi Police and the People’s Committee have been asked to strengthen enforcement and hand out tougher penalties against scam artists to help improve the city’s image.
Mai Tien Dung, Vice Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism said that it’s necessary to apply stronger punishments in order to deter violators and to put an end to this pressing issue.
In a statement to DTiNews, Nguyen Quoc Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoan Kiem District said that previously exposed con artists do not dare to operate around Hoan Kiem Lake. They have quietly moved to neighbouring areas. Related agencies of the district and wards have been directed to make efforts to deal with this issue.
Some tourists thought that certain street vendors were a cultural feature of Hanoi. However, fraud is a violation of laws protecting public order and these culprits have been harming the image of Hanoi in the eyes of foreign visitors.
Hoa shared, “We are against all fraud. From now to the 1,000 year Anniversary of Hanoi we will mobilise all forces and expand our investigation to find and punish all subjects creating a public nuisance to tourists in the district. However, we know this issue will not be easy to stop. It will take time and we need public support.”
Certain “vendors” have been using cunning tricks to dupe tourists out of their cash. Pham Van Thoi, Vice Director of the Hoan Kiem District Police said, “These law-breakers are street vendors who want to earn money by forcing innocent tourists to pay much more than they should. We are aware of this issue and we fine perpetrators. However, we have been unable to eliminate this problem because we do not have enough manpower and the punishment is not strong enough to deter others.”
He continued, “There is no ban for street vendors on most streets in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. This is a very favourable condition for them to conduct their business. Moreover, many foreign visitors are interested in the bamboo carrying poles of street vendors and want to take pictures even after that they are asked to pay money. This motivates the greed of some street vendors."
Thoi shared that the heaviest fines are VND75,000 (USD 4) for violations, hardly enough to deter people. According to current regulations, these subjects cannot be taken into custody or jailed by the police. In the near future, violators will be under custody for 12 hours while undergoing punishment procedures.
Reports of scams at Hoan Kiem Lake have been on the rise since March (Photo by Huu Nghi)
Scam artists overcharge tourists (Photo by Huu Nghi)