Relevant authorities have confirmed this is a scam and have urged the public to stay alert to avoid financial loss and potential health risks.

Trần Thị Tân, a resident of Pom Lót commune, Điện Biên district, gave birth at the provincial General Hospital in early February 2025. About a month later, she received a call from an unfamiliar number. The caller introduced herself as a “nutrition department staff member from the province,” inquiring about the baby’s health and recommending various dietary supplements for both mother and child.

During the conversation, the caller asked whether Tân had given her baby vitamin D3K2, stressing that it was “mandatory for newborns to prevent jaundice and ensure calcium absorption from breast milk.” When Tân responded that she had already been using the supplement, the caller pressed further, asking if Tân was experiencing numbness or headaches after childbirth, implying that additional supplements like iron, calcium, and multivitamins were needed. The caller insisted that postpartum women should use a special vitamin formula, claiming it was imported, Ministry of Health-approved, and exclusively sold through hospitals or nutrition departments, not pharmacies. When Tân asked for the location of the nutrition department, the caller gave vague responses and shifted the conversation to the baby's vaccination schedule.

Similarly, Hà Thu Trang from Thanh Bình ward, Điện Biên Phủ city, received a call from number 0845537757. The caller claimed to be from the postpartum maternal and child nutrition center at the provincial General Hospital. Trang recalled: “The woman on the phone asked a lot of questions about my baby’s feeding, sleeping, and digestion. Then she said my baby needed probiotics because newborns have unstable digestive systems. Without even asking if I wanted to buy them, she said a shipment would be sent to my address, probiotics prescribed by doctors and discounted through my baby’s health insurance, costing VND 380,000.” When Trang asked for the brand name of the supplement, the caller vaguely said “10-strain probiotics” and then abruptly ended the call.

Speaking to reporters, Dr. Trần Đức Nghĩa, Deputy Director of the provincial General Hospital, stated: “Our hospital has no postpartum maternal and child nutrition center, nor have we established or partnered with any third parties to provide phone consultations, sell medications, or dietary supplements after patient discharge.”
He stressed: “We do not market or sell any products online or by phone. Medications are prescribed and provided only during in-person visits at the hospital. People must remain vigilant and not fall for scams. Do not use unverified supplements, which could pose serious health risks.”

The provincial health sector confirmed there is no such “nutrition department” as claimed by the impersonators. The only relevant unit is the Faculty of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Nutrition under the provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC). Doctor Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Oanh, Deputy Head of the unit, affirmed: “We do not make unsolicited calls to patients or postpartum women for record updates, consultation, or sales of any kind.”

Dr. Oanh clarified that there are no general recommendations for supplementing newborns. Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Breastfeeding mothers are advised to take daily multivitamin tablets containing nutrients as recommended by the World Health Organization and consume a balanced diet rich in micronutrients. The scammer’s claims that vitamin D3K2 is “mandatory for newborns” and only available from hospitals or nutrition departments are completely unfounded.

This is a clear case of identity theft and manipulation, using the name of the provincial General Hospital and the health sector to commit fraud. The products being sold have unverified origins and quality. Residents are advised not to use or administer any medication or supplement to infants without medical consultation or a proper prescription. Special caution should be taken with advice delivered via phone or social media to prevent tragic consequences from using unsafe products.