Falling into online scams
Aiming at the psychology of poverty, advertising tricks with simple procedures, quick disbursement and no need to prove assets. However, when workers are late in paying or lose their ability to pay, the subjects immediately use many methods of putting pressure, and at the same time use the victim's personal information to contact and harass relatives, colleagues and workplaces.
Last month, Ms. Tran Thu Huong (character name has been changed) residing in Thu Duc ward, Ho Chi Minh City accidentally clicked on a strange link sent via SMS message with content requesting bank account verification. After following the instructions, she discovered that it was a fake website that had collected all contacts, verified images and some information related to personal accounts.
Since that day, I have been frequently texted requesting money transfers. They threatened to cut and paste images and send them to my contacts accounts. Many of my friends were alsofriended on Zalo and reported that I was borrowing, but in fact I did not borrow at all" - Ms. Huong confided. Faced with continuous threats, Ms. Huong reported the incident to the authorities.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son - Head of the Trade Union Management Working Group of the Export Processing Zone - Ho Chi Minh City Industrial Park - said that what is worrying now is that black credit approaches workers right on their phones at the right time when they urgently need money. Seductive words such as "only need ID card", "no mortgage", "quick disbursement", make it easy for borrowers to ignore checking the lender. The Ministry of Public Security has also warned about the situation of subjects switching activities to social networks, websites, applications, and even using iCloud accounts and personal data to control borrowers.
Another sophisticated trick pointed out by Mr. Son is that the subjects advertise loans that seem small and easy to repay, but immediately deduct interest and fees before handing over the money. The amount of money workers actually receive is lower than the debit amount, while the repayment period is very short. When they cannot manage in time, they continue to borrow from other applications to repay the previous loan, leading to debt traps.
The consequence is not only losing money. Being called, threatened, spread or photoshopped images can cause workers to panic, feel inferior, and be bothered by relatives and colleagues" - Mr. Son emphasized.
Expanding legal capital flows to prevent from the root
In Dong Nai, grassroots trade unions in large-scale enterprises have proactively built legal loan channels specifically for workers through coordination with banks and financial institutions to implement consumer loan packages with procedures and appropriate interest rates.
Mr. Le Nhat Truong - Chairman of the grassroots Trade Union of Pou Sung Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Bau Xeo Industrial Park, An Vien commune, Dong Nai city) - shared that from 2023 to now, the grassroots Trade Union has coordinated with banks to support more than 15,000 workers to borrow capital to improve their lives with a total amount of more than 500 billion VND. In addition, the trade union also stands as a credit guarantee for workers to borrow capital from 50 to 100 million VND.
Similarly, at Chang Shin Vietnam Co., Ltd. - a business with more than 40,000 workers, Mr. Dang Tuan Tu, Chairman of the grassroots Trade Union, informed that the unit has linked with reputable financial organizations to support workers to borrow capital in difficult times with reasonable interest rates. The grassroots Trade Union also established the ChangShin Family Mutual Assistance Association and the Compassionate Arms Fund to help workers have financial resources to solve unexpected difficulties without having to resort to illegal black credit services outside.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the CEP Fund (CEP Microfinance Organization founded by the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation) continues to be a practical support channel to help low-income workers access official capital sources. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son said that it is necessary to let workers know clearly the address of this support right at the workplace so that when they need money for treatment, tuition or living expenses, they know clearly who to contact, what documents to prepare and whether the monthly payment is suitable for their income or not.
In particular, Mr. Son noted the first principle when supporting workers who have fallen into the trap is to receive with a sharing attitude, keep information confidential within the necessary scope and prioritize safety for workers. If they are afraid of being criticized or losing their jobs, workers will hide the matter until the consequences become serious.
When falling into a trap, workers should come to the trade union and functional agencies as soon as possible; do not continue to borrow from other applications to cope with immediate pressure. The role of the trade union is to be a support, connect to the right place to support and accompany so that workers can feel secure to continue working" - Mr. Son gave advice.
