Online kidnapping, a sophisticated new scam doing the rounds

On the afternoon of June 4 a woman named Van, 58, rushed to the police in Dong Nai Province to report that her daughter had been kidnapped and that she got a call from a stranger demanding a ransom of VND300 million (US$11,500).

The caller threatened to sell her daughter abroad if the money was not paid.

The police investigated and found that the daughter, named Tran, 22, was staying at a hotel in District 3, HCMC, all by herself.

They uncovered a new online scam targeting students and gullible individuals.

They said the young woman had not been abducted, but was psychologically manipulated into isolating herself over phone by a criminal gang.

Two days before the event Tran received a call from an unknown number with a man claiming to be a police officer and asking to connect on Zalo, the Vietnamese free messaging and video calling app.

On agreeing, she got a video call showing a man in handcuffs surrounded by people in police uniforms and boxes of money and small plastic bags purportedly containing drugs.

The caller, a man wearing a police uniform with the insignia of a lieutenant colonel, introduced himself as working for the Hanoi police and claimed to be investigating a drug trafficking ring, saying the handcuffed suspect had just been arrested and the drug parcel in the video was addressed to Tran.

Panicked, she said she had nothing to do with it and did not know the captured man.

A scammer impersonating a police officer in a video call. Photo by police

But the caller accurately cited her personal information and told her to transfer VND725 million to a bank account for "investigative cooperation," promising the money would be refunded if she was found innocent.

He warned that if she did not comply or told anyone about the "investigation," she would be arrested immediately.

Frightened, she transferred the money.

But the "lieutenant colonel" called again, claiming to have arrested another suspect who allegedly linked her to the case, and this time demanded VND300 million. She could only manage to raise and send VND87 million.

Two days later Tran was instructed to go to HCMC to "get [her] refund from investigators."

Along the way she received another call from the "officer," saying the remaining members of the drug gang were still at large and targeting her. For her safety, he said, she had to follow the police's instructions and remove her SIM card, delete Zalo and Messenger apps from her phone, keep in touch only via Zoom, and hole up in a hotel.

She complied unquestioningly, checking into a hotel in HCMC's District 3. The man then demanded access to her Zalo and Facebook accounts, and she complied.

Once in control, the scammers contacted her mother and asked for the ransom of VND300 million.

A police officer works with Van and her daughter Tran after the scam. Photo by police

Tran was not the first to fall for this new scam.

In early May scammers also claiming to be police officers manipulated a 20-year-old student in Hanoi.

They coached her on how to scam her own parents out of VND3 billion.

Another student lost VND1.5 billion to a similar trick.

Late one night in mid-May a 49-year-old man in HCMC reported his son Thanh, aged 18, had been kidnapped and held for ransom.

The scammers repeatedly called the father, claiming to hold the boy and demanding the transfer of VND200 million to the boy's bank account to secure his release.

Terrified for his son's safety and seeing that the money was to be sent to Thanh's account, the father believed the story and transferred the money.

However, he was unable to contact his son afterward.

The scammers then used multiple phone numbers to call him, demanding more money.

When he insisted on seeing his son first, they cut all contact. It was only then that he went to the police, who immediately set up a task force to search for Thanh.

Within an hour they found him in a hotel in District 7.

He had not been kidnapped; it was another elaborate scam. Thanh said he had received a call from someone posing as a police officer, accusing him of being involved in a drug case.

When he denied it the fake officer told him to remain silent and follow instructions to "clear his name." The scammers ordered him to book a hotel and isolate himself.

While Thanh was cut off from his family and emotionally distressed, the scammers instructed him to transfer all the money, which his father had just sent, to them. Desperate to prove his innocence, he complied.

Why do victims fall for this?

According to the HCMC police, the primary targets of these scams are those with limited life experience like students and other young people.

From the first call, the scammers use intimidatory tactics, falsely accusing the victim of being involved in serious crimes like drug trafficking or money laundering.

They continue to build psychological pressure, threatening arrest if the victims do not cooperate.

The victims are then instructed to isolate themselves in hotel rooms, cut off contact with everyone, even their families, and follow the scammers' directions.

Once under full control, the victims are ordered to transfer money to "resolve the case" or "verify their accounts."

The scammers often use victims' real bank accounts when demanding ransom from their families, lending the scheme credence.

An officer with the Ministry of Public Security's cybersecurity and hi-tech crime prevention department said most of these scam rings operate from abroad, mainly in neighboring countries.

Before making contact they have a victim's personal information and carefully rehearse elaborate scripts.

To trap a victim, they typically assign three members to play different "ranks" in the police force. The first impersonates a district or provincial police officer, speaking seriously and confidently, providing accurate personal information (name, ID number, address) to establish credence.

They often begin with accusations involving money laundering or drugs or issues related to personal ID updates to sow fear in the victims.

Then another poses as an "investigator" who guides the victim step by step, eventually manipulating them into total compliance.

According to the National Cybersecurity Association, Vietnamese citizens lost an estimated VND18.9 trillion ($750 million) to online scams and cyberattacks last year.

The Ministry of Public Security reported that in 2023 the losses were worth VND10 trillion, a 50% increase from 2022.

They particularly target vulnerable groups like the elderly and young people, and these figures highlight how widespread and sophisticated the scams have become.

The ministry has launched major crackdowns, cooperating with police in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, countries where many of these scammers are based.

Hundreds have been arrested with transnational rings being dismantled and thousands of bank accounts frozen.

The ministry advises citizens that police, prosecutors and courts never conduct investigations or request money transfers by phone.

All legitimate work is carried out at offices or through official summonses. If there is a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, people should not share personal information, bank account details or OTP codes.

In case of any suspicion, they should stay calm, hang up and call the hotline 113 or go to the nearest police station.

Parents and schools need to educate students and young people, the main targets of scammers, about these tricks and to ignore all instructions received via phone.