On the evening of 25/7, the Special Task Force - Team 2 of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department found the student in a state of distress at a hotel and brought her home.

The student was rescued by police from a hotel room. Photo: Nhat Vy

The student was rescued by police from a hotel room. Photo: Nhat Vy

Earlier that day, the student's mother reported to the Hoa Hung Ward Police Station (former District 10) that before her daughter lost contact, she had answered a call from a stranger and then asked permission to go out. A few hours later, the student's Zalo account contacted her mother, claiming she had been kidnapped by a gang who were preparing to take her to Cambodia. They demanded the family transfer 150 million VND to the student's account.

Frightened, the mother transferred 17 million VND to her daughter's account and asked to see her, but the request was denied. Subsequently, the mother received calls from various numbers urging her to transfer more money and issuing threats. Fearing for her daughter's life, she went to the police for help.

After launching an investigation, within a few hours, Team 2 investigators, in collaboration with local police, raided a hotel on Tran Van Dang Street (former District 3) and found the student, who had isolated herself from her family.

Speaking to the police, the girl said she had received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, who told her that her personal information had been leaked and was linked to a money laundering group. When she explained she had no involvement, the "investigating officer" asked her to transfer 150 million VND to a "safe" account to prove her innocence, promising to return it later.

Throughout the ordeal, the group instructed the student to keep everything secret, even from her parents. They directed her to various locations and eventually to a hotel where they told her to rent a room and stay alone.

Investigators determined that during the day, the student also transferred 10 million VND to a company account as instructed by the criminals. The police are expanding their search to apprehend those involved.

Recently, Ho Chi Minh City Police and other provincial police departments have rescued numerous victims of "online kidnapping," a new scam targeting students and young people with limited life experience. Criminal gangs often impersonate police officers, prosecutors, or court officials, calling and intimidating victims before demanding money for "cooperation with the investigation." Some victims are even instructed to isolate themselves, rent hotel rooms, or install unfamiliar apps as a means of psychological manipulation.

The police department emphasizes that they never conduct investigations over the phone or demand money transfers. They advise the public not to provide personal information, bank account details, or OTP codes to anyone over the phone, and to disregard requests for isolation, room rentals, or app installations. If suspicious, stay calm, hang up, call 113, or report to the nearest police station.

Quoc Thang