Not long ago, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in HCMC received a report from the family of a sixth-year student who was scammed out of nearly VND7 billion in just a few days.

According to the report, on May 23, the student called his mother, saying he had been selected to join an international student exchange program in Germany and needed a bank statement to prove financial capacity. Trusting their child, the family repeatedly transferred money, totaling nearly VND7 billion.

At first, the student sent a statement showing he was among the top 10 candidates for a scholarship, but not yet in the top five with the highest financial scores. The parents continued sending more money so that he could “qualify for the study abroad program.” But when they checked later, all the money in the student’s account had disappeared. The family could no longer contact the student, and he was not at his rented room or internship hospital as planned.

The story shocked the medical student community, where most young people focus on studying and are often unaware of sophisticated online scams.

Beyond financial losses, recent cases show signs of manipulation to lure students away from their residences, potentially leading to trafficking abroad. 

Between September 17 and 20, two freshmen from the Vietnam Aviation Academy lost contact with their families and were found in Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, confused and under pressure from strangers. Fortunately, with swift cooperation between authorities, the university, and the families, both students were found safe.

Earlier in February, a third-year student from the same academy was scammed out of VND500 million after joining a “2025 Australian government exchange scholarship program.” All documents, letters, and seals were professionally forged using formal administrative language, leading the victim to fully believe it was legitimate.

The Vietnam Aviation Academy immediately issued an emergency alert to students and parents, warning them not to trust unverified “international programs.” Official information about scholarships, overseas study, or job opportunities is posted only on the university’s website, verified fanpage, or through academic advisors. The school also launched an early warning system and an online support channel to protect students.

Emotional manipulation

At a recent seminar titled ‘Identifying and Combating Fake News in the AI Era held at HCMC University of Transport’, Captain Huynh Do Tan Thinh from the HCMC Police Criminal Department warned about increasingly sophisticated scams targeting young people, especially students.

“Scammers often start with emotional messages like: ‘I just moved to the city, I’m lonely, can we be friends?’ From seemingly harmless chats, they gradually gain the victim’s trust, send photos or videos, and then suggest transferring money, buying cards, investing, or joining attractive scholarship or job programs,” said Captain Thinh.

According to Thinh, these scams exploit psychological and social factors, the need for affection, recognition, or the dream of a better life. Once trust is gained, scammers easily manipulate emotions and lead victims into financial traps.

Besides fake scholarship schemes, scammers also impersonate recruiters offering “easy jobs with high pay,” distribute malware links, or send gambling messages to take control of phones and personal data, using victims’ contacts to target others in a friend list.

As scams spread rapidly, many universities in HCMC, such as the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam Aviation Academy, International University (VNU-HCMC), University of Science, and University of Transport, have issued alerts to students about fake scholarship and international exchange programs.

These criminals often impersonate diplomatic offices or international organizations, forge university documents, and send emails or messages inviting students to join “study abroad scholarships” or “exchange programs,” asking them to pay fees or provide personal and financial information to steal money.

Nguyen Duc Chien, Secretary of the Youth Union at HCMC University of Transport, said the university once detected a forged scholarship letter that looked professional, complete with a logo and formal administrative style, fooling many students. 

“Once discovered, the school immediately cooperated with authorities to verify and issue an emergency warning. All official announcements are posted only on the university website and internal communication channels,” Chien said.

Captain Thinh advised students to obtain information only from verified sources and avoid relying on social media, where fake news spreads easily, especially through short-form videos. 

Le Huyen