Ho Chi Minh City Safety and Scams: Reported Risks and Who to Call

No official text names areas of Ho Chi Minh City to avoid. City police say property crime fell by more than 29% in 2025. The tourism department says aggressive solicitation and overcharging occur at some locations, and online booking scams are increasingly sophisticated. Call 113 for the police.

By Vincent Nguyen

In July 2026, a man on a motorbike snatched a handbag from a South Korean tourist walking along a street in Tan Hung Ward. The bag held VND 12 million in cash and a phone. Police arrested a suspect within about three hours.

That is one dated case, not a ranking of streets, and no official text names areas to avoid.

Where to avoid in Ho Chi Minh City

The city tourism department’s deputy director said aggressive solicitation and overcharging of tourists continued to occur at some locations across the city. The report names no locations.

City police report that social-order crime fell by more than 24% in 2025. Property crime fell by more than 29%. In September 2026 the Deputy Minister of Public Security said the police snatcher-hunting unit is now unemployed because prevention works. No figures for foreign victims were found.

What officials and police report

The tourism department and the municipal police signed a coordination agreement for 2026-31 to strengthen information sharing, inspections, enforcement and visitor protection. A police representative said the force would step up patrols and inspections focusing on aggressive solicitation, overcharging, theft and online scams involving tour, hotel and sightseeing ticket bookings.

Bag and phone snatching

The July 2026 case happened as a South Korean tourist walked along a street in Tan Hung Ward. A man riding a motorbike approached and snatched his handbag before fleeing.

The bag contained VND 12 million in cash and an expensive mobile phone storing important personal data. Tan Hung Ward police arrested the suspect within about three hours of receiving the report.

If it happens to you, call 113 for the police. Call 115 if you are hurt.

Airport taxi fare scams

In 2023, the Department of Transport fined two taxi operators and several drivers for fare scams that overcharged customers at Tan Son Nhat airport by up to 10 times. Inspectors found a device in one taxi’s meter that helps inflate fares.

On the inspection run, the fare was VND 53,000 for a three-kilometre trip, and the meter showed VND 530,000 when the device was activated. That report is from 21/6/2023. No 2026 inspection figures were found.

The airport’s deputy director said passengers who are fleeced should report it with evidence to taxi operators, Tan Son Nhat airport and the municipal Department of Transport inspectors. You can also use the tourism hotline below.

Ride-hail pickups at Tan Son Nhat

Grab and Be pickups are some distance from the taxi stands: go down to level 1, turn right and walk to the end of the road by the parking building. At the International Terminal, Xanh SM taxis wait at columns A01 to A04 on lane A.

At T3 level 1, columns 04 to 08 have taxis such as Mai Linh and Vinasun. Xanh SM taxis are at columns 09 to 15-16.

A VND 9,000 airport surcharge applies to Grab trips going to T3 and none to trips from T3. Be adds a VND 15,000 pick-up fee at Tan Son Nhat.

Xanh SM app bookings are priced automatically under its listed price policy, with promotions or surcharges at the time. Grab fares can be adjusted with supply and demand by area and time of day. For fare tables, see Grab vs Xanh SM vs Be.

Online booking and ticket scams

Scams involving online hotel bookings, tour purchases and admission tickets have become increasingly sophisticated, according to the tourism department’s deputy director. Police said they would patrol and inspect with a focus on online scams involving tour, hotel and sightseeing ticket bookings.

For an e-visa, the portal names evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn as its official addresses. It warns that unofficial pages may result in unauthorized fees. See Vietnam e-visa for Ho Chi Minh City.

City police list the signs of a fake booking. Fake pages copy big travel brands, often carry a verified tick and use names close to the real brand. Do not trust tours or combos priced unusually cheap against the market.

Before paying, phone the hotel, airline or resort directly to confirm the booking. Limit transfers to personal accounts. Police issued this warning on 29/5/2026.

The Australian Consulate-General warns that scammers spoof its phone number to make fraudulent calls. If you get an unexpected call claiming to be from your consulate, call the number on its official page.

Tourism department hotline

The city tourism department’s official page lists the hotline 02838242904 and the email hcm.sdl@tphcm.gov.vn. The page carries no date and the number was not test-called.

Who to call

1. Call 113 for a theft, snatching or other crime.
2. Call 115 if someone is hurt.
3. Call 112 if you cannot tell which service you need.
4. Report a taxi overcharge with evidence to the taxi operator, Tan Son Nhat airport and municipal transport inspectors.

For hospital lines and the full list, see Ho Chi Minh City emergency numbers. For ride options, see getting around Ho Chi Minh City and Tan Son Nhat Airport to the city.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Hai Linh Huynh.

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Not confirmed: No official list of streets or districts to avoid was found; the tourism department names no locations. City police publish no figures for foreign victims. The airport taxi case is from 2023; no 2026 fare data was found.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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