Many people fall into the trap

Although it is 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 2011) and H'Cat B (born 2013), both residing in Blung 1A village, Thong Nhat ward, Buon Ho town, Dak Lak province, to their families and representatives of the local authorities. 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 invitation of an acquaintance on social media to go to the North to do "light work, high salary". This person instructed the two children to hide from their families and take a bus from Dak Lak to Hanoi. Listening to 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. Afraid of being tricked and sold abroad, the two children proactively contacted their parents. Upon receiving the news, their relatives guided them off the bus and informed them of 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.

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

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. 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 monitoring and verification process, 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 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 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 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 fight and 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 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 the country 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 "Human trafficking", and seize many related documents. At the same time, in Quy Chau district, another working group also successfully arrested Vi Van Nhap for "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 35 million VND/person, so he contacted his hometown and persuaded many people to go.

To lure the victims, Tin gave the 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 jobs such as: participating in online fraud rings, working 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 the above situation, the authorities advise people to be vigilant against promises of high income 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 go abroad to work, go directly to the local job center for specific instructions. Do not look for jobs on social networks or listen to the enticements to work abroad to avoid falling into the trap of scammers. Be wary of websites that introduce jobs abroad that have signs of fraud, such as simple, light work descriptions that do not require skills or qualifications, with high salaries and bonuses, and the attractive "light work, 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 and 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 and personal information of the person who introduces them and goes to work 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 going 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.