Mark học AI

Easy high-paying jobs abroad: how can I tell it's a trap?

Answered in a minute, with the warning signs and what to do right now.

Short answer

Check 3 things before you go

Many offers of high pay, no experience needed and free flights actually send people into forced online-scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Before going, check three things: the company has a name and licence you can look up, there's a clear written contract, and the recruiting agency is licensed to send workers abroad.

120,000people forced into scams in Myanmar (minimum estimate)Source: OHCHR, 8/2023
100,000people in Cambodia (estimate)Source: OHCHR, 8/2023
300,000+across Southeast Asia, from 60+ countriesSource: OHCHR, 2/2026

Red flags

Red flags

  • Unusually high payNo experience, just basic computer skills.
  • Contact through personal accountsTelegram or private chat, no clearly registered company.
  • No contractThey promise you'll sign on arrival.
  • Free flight and housing, leave fastSometimes the recruiter is an old acquaintance who went first.

Do this

Do this

  1. Look up the company and licenceIf you can't find it, don't go.
  2. Get the contract before leavingStating the job, pay and workplace.
  3. Check the recruiting agencyIt must be licensed to send workers abroad.
  4. Family member held: call the policeCall 113 in Vietnam; don't pay ransom through strangers.

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More questions

People also ask

What happens when people arrive?

Workers often have their passports taken, are forced to work 10+ hours a day scamming people online, are punished for missing targets, and their families are asked for ransom to bring them home.

Why do scam compounds recruit Vietnamese people?

To scam Vietnamese victims in Vietnamese. Vietnamese people end up on both sides: forced workers and victims.

What should I check before taking a job abroad?

Three things: a company and licence you can look up, a clear contract before leaving, and a licensed recruiting agency.

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Other questions

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Sources: OHCHR reports (8/2023, 2/2026); UN News · Tuổi Trẻ (2025): Vietnamese citizens returned from Cambodia · Vietnam's 2020 law on workers going abroad under contract · Mark Học AI video script 701, Inside AI scam compounds. This page helps you spot warning signs; it doesn't replace your bank or the police. When in doubt, ask them directly.