Many people fall into the trap

Although not a new trick, with attractive offers and promises of "easy work, high salary", scammers still successfully manipulate the psychology of some people, causing them to fall into traps, especially those who are in need of jobs, are disadvantaged, have financial difficulties, young people who are eager for success, and hope to change their lives.

Recently, the police of Cau Giat town, Quynh Luu district handed over two children H'Nu B (born in 2011) and H'Cat B (born in 2013), both residing in Blung 1A village, Thong Nhat ward, Buon Ho town, Dak Lak province, to their families and representatives of the local government. Previously, at around 11 p.m. on March 4, the patrol team of Cau Giat town police discovered these two girls standing on the side of the road in a state of panic, anxiety, and unstable psychology, so they quickly approached, reassured the two children and took them to the headquarters.

According to the report, H'Nu B and H'Cat B listened to the advice of an acquaintance on social media and invited them to go to the North to do "easy work, high salary". This person instructed the two children to hide from their families and take a bus from Dak Lak to Hanoi. Following the enticement of the subject, on the evening of March 3, the two children ran away from home and took a bus to Hanoi.

On the evening of March 4, when they arrived at Cau Giat town (Quynh Luu), through social media, the two children learned that their families were looking for them. Fearing that they would be tricked and sold abroad, the two children proactively contacted their parents. Upon receiving the news, their relatives guided them off the bus and reported their location to pick them up. At this point, H'Nu B and H'Cat B had traveled over 1,000km. Therefore, when they got off the bus, they lost their bearings and calmed down.

Cau Giat Town Police contacted Thong Nhat Ward Police, Buon Ho Town, Dak Lak Province to verify the incident. After exchanging information, Cau Giat Town Police arranged food, accommodation and psychological stability for the children. On March 5, Cau Giat Town Police handed over the two children to Thong Nhat Ward Police and representatives of Blung 1A Hamlet.

Not only domestic fraud, but according to the authorities, recently, in some provinces and cities, including Nghe An, due to gullibility, some people have been lured and tricked by bad people to work in special economic zones and online fraud companies across the border owned by foreigners, forced and exploited for their labor.

Authorities in Nghe An have discovered and arrested many criminals; rescued many victims and returned them to their homes. Typically in 2024, the police discovered that Vi Van Nhap (born in 1983), residing in Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district, regularly searched for citizens in mountainous districts, including Quy Chau district, to send them abroad to work illegally.

During the process of monitoring and verifying, the police identified Nhap as an important "gangster" in the human trafficking ring to the Golden Triangle economic zones for illegal work led by Pham Thi Tuyet Chinh (born in 1988), residing in Giao Tien commune, Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province.

Accordingly, because she lived across the border and got married at a young age, Chinh knew many “bosses” who needed to find workers to send to work in special economic zones to serve transnational fraud activities. Therefore, this subject connected with subjects living in many provinces and cities across the country to find and lure gullible people, then sell them to special economic zones in border areas. Chinh even returned to the country many times and went to provinces and cities to find “prey”.

During the process of setting up a project to eradicate this network, the police force received a complaint from a man who was a victim of the network and was tricked and sold across the border by Vi Van Nhap and Pham Thi Tuyet Chinh. After escaping from the special economic zone to find a way back to Vietnam, this man had to use a foam raft to swim for more than 8 days and nights along the Mekong River. During the process of swimming downstream, the man had to beg for food, sleep temporarily at people's huts along the river and was fortunately helped by Vietnamese people doing business in Laos to return to Vietnam.

On August 7, 2024, the authorities received information that Pham Thi Tuyet Chinh had just returned to Vietnam by road through Lao Cai International Border Gate. Immediately, a working group moved from Nghe An to Lao Cai to verify and grasp all movements of the subject. At 4:00 p.m. on August 8, 2024, in Bat Xat town, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, the authorities of Nghe An province coordinated with relevant units to successfully break the case, arrest Pham Thi Tuyet Chinh for the act of "Human trafficking", and seized many related documents. At the same time, in Quy Chau district, another working group also successfully arrested Vi Van Nhap for the act of "Human trafficking".

According to the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, in the past, human trafficking rings mainly sent people to China, but now they have shifted to Laos, Cambodia, or continue to a third country. A typical case is Le Bao Tin (born in 1994), residing in Con Cuong district. While traveling to Laos with a friend to participate in a social network fraud mission for a Chinese-owned company, Tin knew that if he could bring Vietnamese people to Laos to work, the Chinese boss would pay him 35 million VND/person, so he contacted his hometown and convinced many people to go.

To lure the victims, Tin gave them information that he would go to Laos to “work online”, with a salary of 17 million VND/month. Among the 10 victims, some were just over 15 years old when they were sold to Laos.

Some Vietnamese people in the country also collude with Vietnamese people abroad to find and lure victims to leave the country with the promise of "easy work, high salary" through methods such as: viewing photos, selecting victims through social networks... then, instructing victims to leave the country by air.

Abroad, victims are forced to do things like: participate in online fraud rings, work in foreign-owned casinos; if they want to return home, they have to pay a large ransom. Women are also forced into illegal marriages, prostitution, etc.

Raise awareness

Faced with this situation, authorities recommend that people be vigilant against promises of high incomes and easy jobs without qualifications. At the same time, verify information from official sources and do not trust unclear announcements or information channels.

When you need to work abroad, go directly to the local job center for specific instructions. Do not look for jobs on social networks or listen to the enticements of working abroad to avoid falling into the traps of scammers. Be wary of websites that introduce jobs abroad that show signs of fraud, such as simple, easy job descriptions that do not require skills or qualifications, with high salaries and bonuses, and the attractive "easy job, high salary".

The Ministry of Public Security's electronic information portal (bocongan.gov.vn) also recommends that people raise their awareness of job brokerage posts, invitations, attractive salaries, no travel costs... from subjects on social networks. Especially invitations, enticements to go to Laos, Cambodia... to work.

All citizens when leaving the country must comply with the State's regulations on entry and exit. Any act of illegal entry or exit or organizing others to illegally enter or exit the country will be strictly handled according to Articles 347, 348 and 349 of the Penal Code.

Before deciding to accept a job offer, especially to work abroad, people need to carefully research the location, the place where they intend to work, the characteristics, personal information of the person who introduces and works there with them. They should consult with everyone and provide information to their family and relatives about the location of the workplace and their job, and information about the person who will go with them before deciding to leave the country.

In case of suspicion of being scammed, people need to immediately report to the authorities for timely support, resolution and prevention.