The U.S. Department of State’s Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City announces an open competition to implement a program to combat cyber scams.

Transnational organized crime in Southeast Asia is increasing at an unprecedented pace. The region has witnessed the proliferation of industrial-scale cyber fraud and scam operations, driven by sophisticated transnational criminal syndicates and networks of human traffickers. These criminal enterprises have expanded to inaccessible border areas, particularly in the Mekong region, and have become global leaders in cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud—defrauding Americans of over $10 billion in 2024 alone.

Vietnam stands at a critical inflection point where rapid digital transformation and adoption meet these sophisticated transnational cybercrimes. Economic losses in Vietnam from cyber-enabled scams have reached billions of dollars. Thousands of Vietnamese, primarily aged 18-35, have been trafficked to neighboring countries and forced to work in scam operations against their will, often targeting Americans. Traffickers target young jobseekers with technology skills, including students, and recruit primarily through social media platforms.

Against this backdrop, this program will equip and deploy students and early-stage professionals aged 18-30 to raise awareness of, and reduce vulnerabilities to, cyber scams and trafficking. Participants will examine the cyber-enabled scam and trafficking landscape and develop skills in emerging American technologies and cybersecurity to build practical, innovative, secure, and legally compliant solutions that address these challenges and advance U.S. and regional prosperity and security.

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