LookAtVietnam – Pranksters have been inundating the emergency services with hoax calls, straining already overstretched resources.

“This has put an unnecessary strain on already fully stretched resources. Officials have to handle a huge amount of information before they are able to act. Sometimes, the task force has been deployed to extinguish non-existent fires, leading to a terrible waste of resources,” Son said.

Ha Noi Police Department’s Investigation Unit in May caught two pranksters using pre-paid mobile phones to call 113. They were each fined VND7.5 million (US$405).

Ha Noi’s Department of Information and Communications, in co-operation with the police, recently took action against three pranksters using prepaid mobile phones to make false emergency calls.

Under a Government Decree on administrative violations in post and telecommunications, hoax callers are subject to cash fines.

“People who use mobile phones to make bogus emergency calls will be fined,” Son said. However, he said the fines were not severe enough to deter pranksters.

“Only when we can impose much heavier fines and bring criminal charges will this kind of behaviour be discouraged,” he said.

Recently, the Ministry of Information and Communications restricted an individual to a maximum of three phone numbers per mobile service provider.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News