In September, the 16-year-old student from Son Duong Commune, Tuyen Quang Province, met several people online who invited him to Cambodia to "work for a company."

On 23/9, he left home without his parents' knowledge, boarding a bus from Tuyen Quang to Ho Chi Minh City. His "partners" had planned for someone to contact him upon arrival and guide him on the next steps to Cambodia.

When the bus reached Nghe An Province, his family discovered his departure and reported it to the authorities. The Hung Nguyen Commune Police, in coordination with the Dien Chau Traffic Police Station, identified and intercepted the bus carrying the student after a search lasting several tens of minutes.

Police explained that the Cambodia job offer was a transnational criminal scam. In reality, victims are subjected to forced labor and illegal activities. The student has been reunited with his family in Tuyen Quang and will continue his studies.

Recently, many people across the country have been lured to Cambodia with false promises of "easy work and high pay." Once across the border, they are forced into online scams, working dozens of hours daily under strict supervision, and often beaten if they resist. To return home, victims must pay a large "ransom" to their employers.

Duc Hung