Warning about fake 'military training semesters' that deceive parents.

A fan page called 'Military Summer 2025' advertised a 100% tuition-free military training program, but authorities confirmed it was a fake page designed to scam parents out of money.

A fake website impersonating a military training program uses various enticing tactics to deceive parents - Screenshot.

Wanting to give her mischievous child an experience in orderliness and tidiness, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim P. (27 years old, residing in Khanh Xuan ward, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province) plans to enroll her child in a military summer camp. She searched online and found the "Military Summer Camp 2025" page on Facebook.

"Free military training semester"... a scam targeting parents.

Browsing this page, Ms. P. saw many posts introducing positive, training-oriented activities… with tens of thousands of interactions and thousands of comments, so she had no doubts whatsoever.

Trusting the information, Ms. P. messaged the page to register for the summer course and received enthusiastic advice from a "consultant" regarding the program's activities and benefits. The person stated that the children would participate at the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command (4 Mai Hac De, Tan Tien, Buon Ma Thuot). Specifically, the "young soldiers" would receive 100% tuition and participation fee sponsorship and would get to experience activities at eco-tourism resorts.

Furthermore, if the children achieve outstanding results, they will receive tuition fee support of up to 15 million VND, and each participating child will receive military insurance worth 3 million VND…

When parents expressed concerns about their children's safety, the "counselors" assured them that there would be caregivers monitoring the children 24/7 to ensure their safety. In addition, parents would be allowed to visit their children three times a day, and cameras would continuously monitor the children's activities...

To further verify this, the reporter used different usernames to "investigate" the aforementioned "Military Summer Program 2025," and surprisingly, received conflicting information. Besides the unchanging "program framework," when parents reported their place of residence, the page stated that the student would participate in a nearby military unit.

When a reporter used the username of a parent residing in Thanh Cong ward (Buon Ma Thuot city), they were instructed that their child would participate in a "military training semester" at the Buon Ma Thuot City Military Command. When using a different username with an address in Krong Nang district, the page instructed them to participate in the program at the district's Military Command.

Notably, once parents agree, the "consultant" will guide them through two ways to register. One is to fill out a handwritten form with the child's and parent's information, and the other is to fill out a registration link to complete the procedure.

After registration, parents are directed to chat groups on Zalo and Telegram, where they are enticed to purchase products to promote sponsors. This money is "only for the purpose of promoting the sponsor's brand, and the organizers will later return the money to the parents."

Parents in Nghe An province once registered their children for military training camps on these fake websites and were scammed out of more than 1 billion VND.

The military training program in Dak Lak only accepts registrations in person.

Officials from the Dak Lak Provincial Youth Union held a ceremony to send off young cadets participating in the 2024 military training program - Photo: MP

Regarding the issues related to registering for the 2025 military training program, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Khue, political commissar of the Buon Ma Thuot City Military Command, affirmed that they have received many complaints from the public about online registration for the military training program.

To date, the unit has never organized or co-organized the "Military Summer Program 2025" or any related programs.

"We urge the public to be vigilant and avoid being scammed," Mr. Khue advised.

Further elaborating on this, Ms. Phan Thi Trinh, Deputy Secretary of the Dak Lak Provincial Youth Union, affirmed that all websites advertising military training programs in the locality are fake, and parents should be careful to avoid losing money or facing other negative consequences. The Provincial Youth Union, the Military Command, and the Department of Education and Training of Dak Lak province are the three units collaborating to recruit students for the 2025 military training program.

Accordingly, advertisements regarding the age range for student enrollment and the location for the program are inaccurate. Furthermore, advertisements promising free tuition, participation fees, rewards, or links to purchase products are all deceptive tactics; parents should be vigilant.

Ms. Trinh added that the annual military training program will recruit more than 200 students in two age groups: 10-14 and 14-18 years old. The training location will be agreed upon with the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command.

"This year, we are preparing to work with the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command to finalize the time and location for the program. Afterward, the recruitment announcement will be posted on the Dak Lak Provincial Youth Union website and fanpage, and also displayed at the Dak Lak Youth Cultural Center."

"Parents who wish for their children to participate in the program should contact the Youth Cultural Center or the aforementioned addresses and organizations directly to ensure the safety of their children and avoid being scammed by fraudulent websites," Ms. Trinh advised.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canh-bao-hoc-ky-quan-doi-gia-lua-phu-huynh-2025020810294086.htm