Fraudulent labor export schemes are once again causing serious problems.

Many sophisticated tricks

The most recent overseas employment scam occurred in Nghi Hoa commune, Nghi Loc district, led by Tran Thi Thuy. The victims were Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Ms. Nguyen Thi Luong, and Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hoa, all close relatives. The amount of money they lost totaled billions of VND. Driven by their desire to work abroad, the victims searched online for overseas employment agencies and found one agency managed by Tran Thi Thuy (from Hung Trung commune, Hung Nguyen district) which advertised its services with very attractive promises. These included quick placement, a 100% success rate, low brokerage and emigration fees, and easy jobs such as painters, construction workers, and welders in countries like the UK, Germany, and Australia, with salaries of 60-100 million VND per person per month.

Because they believed the service advertisements, the aforementioned victims also referred family members and relatives to contact Tran Thi Thuy's company to find jobs. For example, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hoa from Nghi Hoa commune referred 12 people, including his siblings, cousins, and other relatives, to Thuy and were scammed out of a total of 1.8 billion VND.

Signs of labor export scams are also hidden in many stories from those involved. Not long ago, in early July 2024, a woman named Nguyen Thi Minh, residing in Dien Minh commune, Dien Chau district, said: She paid 50 million VND as a fee for her child to go to Taiwan to a broker who claimed to be from a reputable company in Hanoi, but after a year, she still hasn't received any response. "The important thing is that their office is still located in Vinh City. I've visited many times and met many other workers who also came to inquire and make deposits, but for some reason, my child and many others still haven't been able to go," Ms. Minh expressed her concern.

The wave of labor export scams is not only rampant in cities and suburban districts but is also appearing frequently in mountainous areas. In June 2024, the family of Ms. Dau Thi Que in Ke Mong hamlet, Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district, had to sell their last remaining assets and borrow more than 200 million VND to ransom their son, born in 1997, who had been tricked into working in Myanmar. Along with Ms. Que's son, three other people from the same hamlet were also scammed, and their families had to scramble to transfer enough money before their children were released.

Ms. Que said: "Initially, the broker said that if we paid 100 million VND, we would have a chance to get a job with an income of up to 40 million VND per month, and the work wouldn't be too strenuous. However, when we arrived, my child and three other people from the neighborhood realized that they had to do extremely hard and strenuous outdoor work, were beaten, and didn't get enough to eat. If they wanted to return, the workers had to pay a ransom of up to 200 million VND. 'Despite the bitterness of not being able to repay the debt from the previous trip, the family had to sell a patch of young acacia trees to gather 160 million VND and borrow more from relatives to send to my child so that he could come home,' Ms. Que said."

Following reports from families in Ke Mong village, the Quy Chau District Police, in coordination with relevant units, successfully cracked a case involving "Organizing and brokering illegal emigration or stay abroad," arresting Tran Quoc Viet (born in 1993), residing in Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district. During questioning, Viet confessed to establishing a brokerage company on various platforms, approaching workers and painting a picture of high-paying jobs abroad, thereby collecting billions of dong in brokerage fees. As a result, the workers who went through Viet's network could not endure the harsh working conditions and paid large ransoms to return home.

Beware of deceptive practices.

In the first seven months of 2024, units and localities, including the Provincial Police, have investigated and arrested dozens of criminals involved in fraud, many of whom were directly related to labor export scams.

According to a report by an inter-agency team comprising the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Nghe An Provincial Police: The practice of displaying misleading advertising signs that detract from the company's operations, leading to misunderstandings among workers, is widespread. Despite not having the authority to send workers abroad, many companies have defrauded workers by collecting deposits for jobs in markets such as South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, and Germany, subsequently misappropriating the funds.

On the other hand, there is a situation where organizations and individuals that do not have the function of sending workers abroad are using websites, such aswww.nhatban24h.vn;www.xuatkhaulaodong24h.com…to find workers in need. Professionally designed websites post numerous job openings for employment in "hot" markets to deceive workers.

These businesses, which are not licensed to provide overseas employment services, also use personal social media accounts (Facebook, Zalo) to post information about their activities in this field, such as photos of workers being seen off at the airport, the workers' work process abroad, and visa photos, in order to build credibility with the workers.

Returning to the case of Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh from Dien Chau district, along with five other workers, who simultaneously deposited 50 million VND each with a brokerage company based in Vinh City. Ms. Minh stated: "Because we trusted that many others had successfully gone abroad and that the company had an office and a business registration for overseas employment and study abroad services, we confidently paid the money. We never imagined we would later find out that this company was not authorized to send people to work overseas!"

According to Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, companies operating under the guise of labor export brokerage but without the authority to send workers abroad often attract laborers by showcasing profiles and images of workers who have worked overseas and are living comfortably after departure, in order to build trust. After collecting deposits, these companies may sell the files to authorized agencies at a higher price. Therefore, workers incur additional intermediary fees, even though they were previously promised departure at the listed price. If they cannot find a profitable deal, these companies will delay the workers, and in some cases, even seize their deposits. People who have paid deposits don't know who to turn to while still receiving promises of departure within the next few months.

"

People seeking overseas employment should contact authorized and licensed agencies and companies for guidance and advice, avoiding the temptation of cheap prices that could lead to financial loss and other problems.

Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs