Police officers stand guard before suspected online gambling operators are transferred following a police raid at an office building in Jakarta on Sunday. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is coordinating with authorities in Indonesia and Cambodia to verify information and provide consular protection for hundreds of Vietnamese citizens linked to recent crackdowns on cross-border online scam operations.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regular press briefing on Thursday, spokeswoman Phạm Thu Hằng said Indonesian authorities were investigating and handling suspects involved in a recently dismantled online fraud ring that included reportedly over 100 Vietnamese nationals.

She said the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia had immediately begun working closely with local authorities to verify information related to Vietnamese citizens involved in the case.

“The representative agency is also ready to implement necessary citizen protection measures in line with Vietnamese law, Indonesian law and international practices,” Hằng said.

Regarding information released by Cambodian authorities about the detention of more than 5,000 people, including around 500 Vietnamese citizens, Hằng said Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia had proactively engaged with local authorities to verify the information and carry out citizen protection measures.

According to the spokeswoman, Vietnamese missions in Cambodia had requested Cambodian authorities ensure the safety, security and living conditions of Vietnamese citizens being held there.

The Foreign Ministry has also instructed Vietnamese representative offices in Cambodia to coordinate closely with local authorities to complete initial identity verification procedures and work with relevant agencies from both countries to carry out necessary consular procedures, facilitating the safe and earliest possible repatriation of Vietnamese citizens.

Since April 1, Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia have coordinated with local authorities and domestic agencies to receive nearly 200 Vietnamese citizens through border crossings, according to the ministry.

At the press briefing, Hằng also urged Vietnamese citizens to remain "vigilant" against overseas job advertisements circulated online that promise “easy work, high salaries”.

She warned that offers requiring no qualifications or skills, lacking formal labour contracts and not arranged through licensed labour export companies or representative organisations could carry risks of labour exploitation, forced labour, or human trafficking.

The Foreign Ministry advised people seeking work abroad to carefully verify information about the nature of the job, recruitment companies, workplaces, brokers, insurance coverage and related rights before deciding to travel overseas for employment. — VNS