On August 1, the Criminal Police Division (PC02) of the Ho Chi Minh City Police confirmed the establishment of a special task force to tackle the rise in “online kidnapping” scams.

This move comes amid increasingly complex developments in such criminal activities. Despite ongoing warnings from authorities, many victims - primarily students - continue to fall for these scams.

The task force is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trung Hoa, Deputy Head of PC02. Other members include additional deputy heads and leaders of the division’s elite investigative units. Their mission is to swiftly receive reports, collaborate in pursuit and investigation, rescue victims, and ensure their safety in a timely manner.

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Illustration photo

Police officials emphasize that “online kidnapping” is, in fact, a highly deceptive online scam. The fraudsters typically impersonate law enforcement officers or prosecutors, calling victims with fabricated claims that they are involved in serious criminal investigations, such as drug trafficking or money laundering. The goal is to instill panic and fear.

Once they manipulate the victim’s psychological state, the scammers instruct them to isolate themselves in a hotel or rented room and cut off all communication with family. From there, the perpetrators either convince victims to transfer money to their bank accounts for supposed “investigation purposes” or contact the victim’s family directly, pretending the victim has been kidnapped, and demand a ransom.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police stress that authorities never conduct investigations or request money transfers by phone. Citizens must remain vigilant and avoid disclosing personal information, bank account details, or OTP codes to unknown callers.

Importantly, people should never follow the scammers’ instructions to isolate themselves. If confronted with such a situation, individuals must remain calm, immediately hang up, and report the incident to the nearest police station or call the PC02 task force hotlines at 0693.187.200 or 028.3821.7080.

Dam De