Vietnam: Four Vietnamese charged with human trafficking for luring victims to work for allegedly Chinese-own company in Cambodia
"Four charged with human trafficking after allegedly luring victims to Cambodia", 18 February 2025
Four people have been charged with human trafficking in Việt Nam for luring victims to Cambodia to work in an online fraud ring.
The Hà Nội People's Procuracy said it has completed its case against Nguyễn Thanh Sáng, from Hà Tĩnh Province; Lưu Trường An, from Hà Nội; and Hoàng Đình Sơn and Trần Quang Anh, both from Hải Phòng, for human trafficking.
The investigation found that Sáng and An went to Cambodia in 2022 to work for a Chinese-owned company, where they befriended Sơn and Anh.
The group was allegedly tasked with posing as young women on social media to befriend Vietnamese men and trick them into sending money in exchange for commissions.
The money was then pocketed by the scammers.
…, Sơn, Sáng and An returned to Việt Nam and allegedly began recruiting others to join the scam in Cambodia.
Authorities said An used Facebook to contact Nguyễn Văn Q., an 18-year-old from Bắc Giang Province. An allegedly told Q. that he could earn VNĐ25 million (US$980) monthly by creating fake Facebook accounts and chatting with Vietnamese men…
According to authorities, the group was paid $1,000 for recruiting Q.
…, Q. refused to continue working for the company and demanded to return to Việt Nam. The company allegedly demanded a ransom of VNĐ200 million ($7,800).
… Only after his father sent an additional VNĐ131 million ($5,127) to his purported captors was Q. released and returned to Việt Nam.
The father then reported the case to the police, and the four suspects were arrested.