In August 2025, D.T.N (born 2006), a first-year university student at a school in Hanoi, was scammed out of nearly VND1 billion through a "serial psychological manipulation" tactic.

A man claiming to be a police officer named Nung Van Duc called her, informing N that she was a suspect in a drug and money laundering case. To "prove her innocence," N. had to transfer VND300 million to an "investigation" account.

After that, N received another call from someone posing as a lecturer at her university, stating that due to her top class ranking, she was selected among 15 first-year students for a two-month exchange program at Seoul National University (South Korea).

Upon hearing their daughter was chosen for study abroad, N's family borrowed money from everywhere and transferred an additional VND600 million to the account to "prove financial capability”.

“In the past, scammers rarely targeted students because they had no income. But now, they’ve realized that if they can kidnap them, they can extort their parents,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Cuong, head of division 3 at the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05, Ministry of Public Security - MPS), at a recent cyber day event hosted at Wellspring bilingual school.

This event was part of the "No One Alone" campaign launched by MPS in collaboration with various units to protect children and youth from inducement, manipulation, scams, and "kidnapping" in cyberspace.

According to MPS, from mid-2024 to August 2025, about 50 cases of online scams and inducements were recorded. Among them, "online kidnapping" is a dangerous new tactic, often targeting students, those lacking life skills and easily manipulated psychologically. Of the 50 victims, 90 percent are female, 100 percent aged 18-22, mostly students living away from home.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Cuong noted that current scams and crimes are highly sophisticated and constantly evolving, but mainly revolve around three main tactics: inducement, manipulation, and threats.

With the threat tactic, scammers often call accusing victims of criminal involvement, using fake documents, then threaten arrest, imprisonment, or asset seizure unless money is transferred or information is provided.

Additionally, they demand victims film their full body or private videos for "verification." Then, they use those images to threaten distribution, forcing compliance. Victims are not only extorted but also controlled and intimidated.

"They relentlessly pressure on time to 'drain' the victim's rationality. Many then cut off all connections, essentially kidnapping themselves due to threats that revealing it would implicate family," Cuong said.

The second tactic is inducement. Cuong explained that scammers offer enticing proposals like money, easy high-paying jobs, or romance. Once trust is built, they coerce risky actions (sensitive photos, video calls, meetings) as demanded.

The third is manipulation for long-term emotional and behavioral control. They build trust with seemingly convincing stories, blinding victims to follow, but it's a control trap.

"When one of these three signs appears, the student is in danger," Cuong said.

Nguyen Phuong Linh, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Management, noted that risks of online kidnapping and scams are rampant. Criminal methods are unpredictable and complex.

"Every day, cybercriminals study user psychology and devise new scripts. Even adults, familiar with scenarios or online info, can fall into traps if not alert. Thus, it's hard for a child to recognize inducements or threats as false," Linh said.

“Every day, cybercriminals study user behavior and create new scenarios. Even adults, well-read and informed, can fall into these traps. Thus, it's hard for a child to recognize inducements or threats as false," Linh said.

She added that while social media is meant for connection, it can also isolate children from the real world. Offenders exploit loneliness and the desire for validation to manipulate emotions, building unsafe connections.

Linh recommended that parents and schools create opportunities for children to connect, share, and be heard. "With connections, risks decrease. Lack of them makes youth easy targets for criminals," she said.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Cuong emphasized that parents must accompany, listen to, and equip children with timely skills. If unusual signs appear, stay calm, block bad contacts, preserve evidence, and seek agency support.

For schools, Cuong said they play a role in safe connections, teaching cyber risk avoidance skills, and providing psychological support for students.

Vo Thu