Vietnam Job SCAM

Below is the true story of a foreigner who worked under NES EDUCATIONAL SOLUTION Joint Stock Company in Vietnam.


Here's my story:

I worked for almost 3 years as a teacher in Thailand until I decided to move to Vietnam on June 12, 2015. Upon arrival, I went straight to my teaching assignment located at a far-flung area of the country. However, I was later offered a job by NES EDU Company (www.nesedu.vn) that is based in Hanoi under a 6-month term contract. At that time, my visa was about to expire on September 3, 2015 (a week after I moved to the company) and NES EDU assured me that they have all the means and connections to extend it.

So, they took my passport, my Professional License ID, TOEIC certificate and diploma supposedly for the processing of VISA and work permit. Every time I called my boss, Mrs. Hang Thi Nguyen (FB-https://www.facebook.com/dinhthi.hang.507), and the coordinators (who already resigned) and inquire about my visa, I always got the same response, "There’s nothing to worry because it's already done".


Countless times, I requested them to send me a copy of my extended visa and they always promised to send it the next day, then the next, until on September 24, 2015, after my relentless insistence to get a copy of the visa, I found out that it wasn't renewed and I had been overstaying for almost a month.

Mrs. Hang told me that we'll just fly to Thailand to process it on Sept. 25. I stayed in their condo unit, 20th floor Room 9 at Royal City Apartments.

The boss lied. We didn’t go anywhere and no ticket was bought. Much more, my salary was not paid. I called the Philippine embassy in Hanoi on September 27. I got a message from the duty officer. The duty officer gave me the number of a person that will handle my case but he's out of reach. Then I called the private number of the Vice Consul and talked with him regarding my situation. The Vice consul advised me to send the contract, and to write a complaint letter. I told the Vice Consul that I would e-mail him if I could not able to leave the country that week.

My Vietnamese friend who is a church pastor helped me in communicating with my boss because she can't speak English. During this period while I was staying at her apartment, I babysit her kids and helped her move from the 20th floor to their new unit on the 34th floor, same room number.

I pestered her to pay my salary and to book my plane ticket to Bangkok but I was told not to worry and that she would buy me a ticket and pay my salary.

Then October 2 came and my boss told me that we were leaving for Thailand that day that evening at 8 p.m. She said not to worry because she already booked a ticket with Vietnam Airlines but she couldn’t show me a copy of the ticket and when I checked online, Vietnam Airlines has no scheduled flight at that time. I'm also terrified of my own safety if they found out that I contacted the Philippine embassy.

On October 4, Mrs. Hang booked a flight with Vietnam Airlines scheduled the following day. But on the day of my flight, through my Vietnamese Pastor, she said that my flight was rescheduled for a later time. I was really disappointed. I was already overstaying in the country for a month. I was really broke. I called Pastor to come to the condo unit and talk with Mrs. Hang. We waited there for more than 4 hours until Mrs. Hang showed up at around 3 p.m. and we all went to the immigration office. She talked with the immigration officer regarding my visa. She was also obliged to buy a one way ticket to Thailand on Oct. 7, 2015 at 4 p.m. She promised to pay me 5,000,000 dongs, which is a very small fraction to what was stipulated in the contract, but she didn’t pay at all.

Oct. 7. - The day of my flight and the day before my birthday. We went to the immigration office that morning to collect the documents. Mrs. Hang promised to show up at 11 a.m. but again she disappeared. My pastor decided to help me pay the fee so I could catch my flight but, I still missed it and so we just went straight to the Philippine embassy to file a formal complaint with the vice consul who met me in person.

Finally, on Oct. 8, Mrs. Hang booked me another ticket on Oct. 9. I checked in early but I left most of my things in Thai Nguyen where we were assigned.

I just learned that Mrs. Hang used a friend to book the tickets and she also did not pay that person. I am no longer expecting to get paid but I want to tell my story so that no one will go through what I experienced.