Not only fraud, human trafficking is also a painful, urgent and topical issue in recent times, according to experts.
At a recent seminar on popular forms of online job scams organized by the US Embassy in Hanoi, experts cited the 2022 Human Trafficking Report published by the US Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam, showing that human traffickers have taken advantage of unemployment due to the pandemic to lure Vietnamese people with false promises of work opportunities abroad. Many people were then tricked and sold to the border areas of China, Cambodia, Laos and many other countries.
Traffickers are increasingly using the internet, gaming sites, and social networks to lure victims and spread human trafficking. Online fraud has become an extremely popular method.
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| Experts at the US Embassy speak at a seminar on March 19. (Photo: Phuong Thao) |
Fraudulent methods are increasingly sophisticated
In the current era of globalization and digitalization, human trafficking is widespread, mainly through social networks. Accordingly, the stages from approaching and persuading victims to the human trafficking transaction can all take place online.
Mr. Duy Vi, co-CEO of Blue Dragon, shared that the current method used by scammers is to use fake identities, join groups such as online job search groups and wait for their prey.
This subject will post recruitment ads for popular, easy jobs with high salaries. The victims are usually people who need to find work to earn extra income.
Ms. Ly is a specific case rescued by Blue Dragon organization, who fell into the above scam. She was forced to go to Myanmar and work for an online scam facility. Although she had researched very carefully, the scammers were very sophisticated, they gave attractive invitations with authentic and extremely convincing information.
Fraudsters are increasingly sophisticated in their methods of manipulation, trust building, and relationships. Fraudsters' methods are constantly changing and often target the needs and desires of their victims.
Victims of human trafficking can be anyone.
The huge impact of Covid-19 has made human trafficking activities more and more complicated. Traffickers can be anywhere, in Vietnam or abroad, they can trick and sell people in a far away place, another country.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Vietnam, Ms. Hoai Phuong believes that the victims are not only women and girls from ethnic minorities, living in remote areas, from families with difficult circumstances, and with low education levels, but also men, with diverse ages and education levels.
Most of the victims graduated from high school or even had a college degree and spoke foreign languages.
Notably, in one typical case rescued at Blue Dragon, the victim was an accountant and was good at English. She and her husband were both considered highly educated. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they lost their jobs. After seeing a job advertisement online, they and their two young children were tricked and sold to Cambodia.
Mr. Duy Vi informed that Blue Dragon has even rescued doctors, journalists and university graduates. Traffickers have taken advantage of their desire to find suitable jobs with desired salaries to make them victims.
In the form of online job fraud, Mr. Duy Vi warned that when approaching a group of scammers, the information shared by the scammers may be incomplete, the workplace and company name may be unclear, the job description may be vague, not commensurate with the ability; the meeting location often changes and the form of illegal immigration is carried out without a passport.
The scammer may keep the victim’s documents to control and dominate them. They force the victim not to talk to strangers around them, not to contact their family and not to share where they work. Then, they gradually force the victim to do unwanted jobs such as serving at karaoke bars, then having sex with customers.
What to do when you become a victim?
When victims discover they have been trafficked, in addition to contacting non-governmental organizations such as IOM's Think Before Step After fanpage, Blue Dragon or Hagar, Mr. Duy Vi recommends that victims contact hotline 111.
After receiving the information, the 111 hotline will coordinate with relevant authorities such as the Vietnamese police to bring the victims back. However, organized crime gangs operate in special economic zones, with strict security systems, and they even possess weapons. Therefore, rescuing the victims is not easy.
According to Hagar's statistics, there are 76 cases that have provided full information to the organization, but so far only 52 cases have been rescued. The rescue time can be up to 5 months.
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| Speakers sharing at the Seminar. (Photo: Le Nhan) |
Every individual who intends to migrate should take the following steps: find information on IOM's Think First Step Next fanpage; save the phone number 111 and share it with anyone; all information should be communicated to relatives and family; remember at least the phone number of the Embassy or Consulate at the destination.
Because, anyone, regardless of gender or education level, can become a victim of human trafficking, especially through online job scams.
IOM is the leading organization in promoting safe and orderly migration for the benefit of all. IOM plays a key role in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda through its various areas of intervention, linking humanitarian assistance and sustainable development. In Viet Nam, IOM supports migrants through a wide range of reintegration, assistance and protection activities. Blue Dragon Children's Foundation is a non-governmental organization with a mission to protect street children, children, and women from human trafficking, forced labor and slavery, and to provide shelter, education and employment to the rescued victims. Hagar International is a non-governmental organization established to meet the needs of vulnerable women and children following the Cambodian civil war. In Vietnam, Hagar was established to support people affected by human trafficking, sexual abuse and domestic violence through its representative office in Hanoi and community outreach projects and training courses. |
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