The HCMC criminal police said Thursday they had rescued a person, identified only as a “student,” whom the blackmailer had coerced into isolating himself pending the ransom payment, and are investigating the fraudulent group behind the crime.

Two days earlier they had received a complaint from the student’s relatives in District 3 that they had lost contact with him after he received a call from an unknown person.

The police identified the victim’s location and raided a hotel on Hoang Sa Street in Phu Nhuan District and rescued him. He had isolated himself in the hotel on the scammer’s orders, and was in a state of panic when they found him.

He said a man claiming to be a police officer had called him and said he was involved in a major drug case and had to deposit a large sum of money to a “police safe account” for verification, and it would be returned after the investigation.

The caller then made a video call, showing several people in police uniforms and others in handcuffs. He said the latter had “confessed” to being involved with the student in the drug crime.

The student was terrified and tried in vain to deny the allegations.

The scammer warned him to keep the matter secret and not inform anyone, including his parents, if he did not want to be arrested.

They forced him to rent the hotel room, only communicate with them and transfer VND51 million to a bank account they provided.

The HCMC police have recently rescued several such victims and issued warnings about the new modus operandi used by cybercriminals.

The primary targets of these groups are students and gullible individuals.

In a similar incident in mid-May, after tricking an 18-year-old male into isolating himself in a hotel, the scammers contacted the boy’s parents, claiming they had kidnapped their son and demanding VND200 million for his release.

Fearing for his life, the father paid the money, but after failing to contact his son and getting demands for more money, he suspected a scam and reported to the police.

Less than an hour later the police discovered that the boy had checked himself into a hotel in District 7, a victim of a scam.

The police have repeatedly told the public that police, prosecutors or courts will never call over phone to conduct investigations or request money transfers. All official communications will be made with a written notice, requesting the individual concerned to appear at their offices.

They also warned people not to provide personal information, bank account details or OTP codes over the phone, or follow instructions to isolate themselves, rent hotel rooms or install suspicious apps.

In case of doubt, people should stay calm, hang up the phone and contact the police by dialing 113 or visiting the nearest police station, they said.

Parents and schools are encouraged to educate students, the main targets of such crimes, about these fraud tactics and never to follow any instructions received over phone.