On June 26, the Criminal Police Division of HCMC Police reported that their special operations team recently rescued a 19-year-old student who had fallen victim to this type of scam.

At 11 p.m. on June 24, a family in District 3 reported losing contact with their son, a university student, under suspicious circumstances. He had received a phone call from a stranger, then left home without notice and could not be reached.

Investigators determined this was an instance of the growing "online kidnapping" scam. By 1:30 a.m. on June 25, special forces raided a hotel on Hoang Sa Street in Phu Nhuan District and successfully located and rescued the student.

It was revealed that the scammers, posing as police officers, falsely accused the student of being involved in a drug trafficking case and demanded a 600 million VND (approximately 23,500 USD) transfer to “resolve the matter.” They instructed him to isolate in a hotel and refrain from contacting anyone except them.

During this ordeal, the scammers successfully coerced the victim into transferring 51 million VND (around 2,000 USD).

In another recent case, 18-year-old Mai Dinh Chi T. from District 4 was also lured by scammers using the same police impersonation tactics. He was tricked into isolating in a hotel while the perpetrators contacted his family and scammed them out of 200 million VND (around 7,800 USD).

According to HCMC Police, these incidents are not actual kidnappings but highly sophisticated online scams. The perpetrators create psychological pressure by accusing victims of crimes such as drug trafficking or money laundering, pushing them into isolation and secrecy.

The scammers then either instruct the victims to transfer money or contact their families for a ransom, claiming it is necessary to “resolve the case” or “verify bank accounts.”

Authorities stress that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not conduct investigations over the phone or request money transfers. They urge the public to remain vigilant: do not share personal or banking information, OTP codes, or isolate yourself when receiving such calls.

Anyone encountering such suspicious activity should immediately hang up and contact the Ho Chi Minh City Police via hotline 113 or visit the nearest police station for assistance.

Dam De