In the context of economic difficulties and increasing demand for jobs, invitations for “easy work, high salary”, “sitting in air conditioning – thousand dollar salary”, “no experience required” are appearing frequently on social networks, text messages, and recruitment groups. It sounds attractive, but behind those sweet words are sophisticated scams, targeting the financial needs and lack of vigilance of Vietnamese workers.
More alarming: many victims have been tricked into Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, fall into the high-tech fraud complex run by international criminals. They are forced to work, exploited, and even threatened with death if they do not commit fraud against others.
“Easy work, high salary”: A familiar trap but people always fall into it
Although the "easy job, high salary" trick is too common, cybercriminals are still successful because they understand the psychology of job seekers. They target the desire to have a stable income quickly, especially young workers, new graduates or those who have just lost their jobs. With a direct approach via Facebook, Zalo, TikTok, they offer attractive invitations such as:
- Work online at home, income 15-30 million/month
- Typing – checking orders – taking care of pages, salary 500–800 USD
- Seasonal work does not require an application
- Support for bus tickets, accommodation, and deposits
The key point of this trick is:
Once the victim agrees, they will ask for:
- Transfer of “deposit”, “uniform”, “insurance” fees”
- Provide ID card/CCCD, bank account
- Arrived at the "interview" appointment and was taken straight to the border
Many people have lost money, their identities, or worse, their freedom — a particularly dangerous case of this trick. In recent years, Vietnam has continuously recorded cases of people being lured into leaving the country and being brought to work by fraudulent companies just because they believed in the invitation of “easy work, high salary”
Disguised Recruitment: A Bridge to Cross-Border Fraud Zones
Criminal gangs are active along the borders of Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and other gray areas in Southeast Asia. They operate “scam factories” with hundreds or thousands of workers, recruited through fake job postings. Once across the border, victims have little way out. Once across the border, victims have little way out. Passports and identification are confiscated, phones are confiscated, and they are forced to work in a highly controlled environment.
The scenario usually goes like this:
- Approach victims on social media platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok using recruitment accounts with fake logos.
- Lure victims with beautiful promises such as simple work, no high requirements, attractive salary, AZ training support
- Make appointments for victims to come to provinces near the border or western provinces such as Tay Ninh, Long An or Gia Lai to "take them to work at the company".
- When the victim crosses the border, their passport/ID card is confiscated, their phone is confiscated, and they are forced to work at casinos or complex scam sites.
The terrible truth behind the promise
Once they set foot in the scam areas, victims are faced with the harsh reality of forced labor and physical/mental abuse:
These rings make huge profits from forced labor and use their victims to create new victims — a never-ending cycle.
Signs of a Scam Job
Be wary if the job posting has the following signs:
Note: Absolutely do not leave the country with the promise "sign the contract only after getting there".
Advice from Anti-Fraud
Stay alert and follow the rules. “doubt everything” before the easy invitations:
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