On 21/8, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department's Criminal Police Department (PC02) announced the rescue of a student, victim of an "online kidnapping", in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (now Ho Chi Minh City). They are currently pursuing the individuals involved.

The student is reunited with his family by the police. Photo: Provided by the police

Two nights earlier, the student left his boarding house on Hong Ha street, Tan Son Hoa ward (formerly Tan Binh district) and lost contact with his family. During this time, his family received repeated calls from a group claiming to have kidnapped him, threatening to harm him unless they transferred a ransom. Unable to contact their son and fearing for his safety, the family transferred nearly 3 billion VND in total to the designated account.

Upon receiving the report, PC02 identified this as an "online kidnapping," and used surveillance footage to trace the student's movements. Security cameras recorded him leaving his boarding house and taking a ride-hailing car to a hotel on Bach Dang street. After checking in, he took another ride-hailing car to National Highway 22, then a motorbike taxi to several roadside cafes, finally stopping at a hotel in Tay Ninh province.

He stayed there for about 4 hours before taking a car to Ba Ria - Vung Tau (now Ho Chi Minh City). Police identified his final location and coordinated with local authorities to rescue the distraught student. He then realized he had fallen victim to criminals impersonating police online.

The student said he had received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, informing him that he was involved in a criminal ring and under investigation. The caller accurately recited his personal information, leading him to believe they were genuine.

When the student denied any involvement, the "online police" told him to cooperate with the investigation to prove his innocence. They instructed him to "maintain absolute secrecy, cut off contact with family and everyone else, or face immediate arrest." They then repeatedly asked him to change locations and provide information about his relatives.

According to investigators, the criminal gang used this information to contact the student's family, threatening to harm him and demanding ransom money.

The impersonators showed the victim images of an "interrogation" (with an accomplice playing the role of the suspect) and claimed he was connected to the person being questioned. Photo: Can Tho Police

Recently, many young people in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and other provinces have fallen victim to this "online kidnapping" scheme. Investigators consider this a sophisticated cybercrime tactic, combining technology with psychological manipulation to disorient victims and extort money.

Through video calls, they show the victim someone handcuffed and being interrogated in a room resembling a police station (staged by the gang). They then claim the victim is connected to this person, showing fake summons and arrest warrants. This leads the victims to believe the situation is real, causing them to comply with the fake police's demands out of fear of arrest.

Many victims have been forced to isolate themselves in hotels, cut off contact with loved ones, and even tie themselves up and pretend to be tortured. The criminals then use photos and videos of this to extort money from their families.

Quoc Thang