Falling into hair model recruitment trap, student in Hanoi shocked by 4 million VND bill

A familiar trick

Some social networking forums are buzzing about the situation of many advertisements recruiting hair models to “trap” students from other provinces who have just come to the city. The subjects are targeting students who need to find extra work, want to beautify themselves but are limited in budget.

NML, a student at the University of Industrial Economics and Technology, said that when he saw the hair model recruitment ad online, L. contacted the salon and was immediately accepted.

According to the appointment, L. had just arrived at the hair salon when 9-10 hairdressers surrounded her, asking her questions continuously while playing loud music, making the female student confused and "overwhelmed".

“They said my hair was weak and dry, not good enough to be a model, and needed to be nourished. They offered three prices for hair conditioner: 200,000 VND, 300,000 VND and 500,000 VND. I chose the cheapest one without knowing that the price was for 1ml,” L. said.

After getting her hair done, L. was shocked when the salon owner gave her a bill of 4 million VND for hair care products, reduced to 3.7 million VND. When she said she didn't have any money, the group of employees in the salon demanded to keep L's phone and computer.

During the argument, L. was fortunate to have people around the shop come to his defense and ask the police to be called to handle the situation. Finally, the shop owner gave in and demanded L. pay 1.5 million VND.

“It was a hair salon on Hoang Mai Street. The bill they gave me did not include the salon’s name. The hair that cost 1.5 million VND was dry again after 1 day as usual,” L. said indignantly.

Doan Quynh Anh (born 2005, student at Trade Union University) also "lost money and got into trouble" because she believed in the advertisement for recruiting hair models.

"That hair salon is on Lang Street. At first, they promised me that there would be no additional costs. However, when I got there, they almost manipulated me, advising me to get an additional hair care package because my hair was weak. I don't know why at that time I just listened and agreed, even though I felt something was wrong," Quynh Anh shared.

After several hours of “hair modeling”, not only did Quynh Anh not get paid, she also had to pay an additional 700,000 VND. But according to her, her hair was not shinier or healthier.

Dinh Doan Nhat Anh (born 2004, student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) is also a victim of this hair model recruitment trick.

"I saw an ad on Facebook, they said it was completely free, just asking for photos to advertise the shop. The shop is on Thuy Khue street," Nhat Anh said.

Just like L.'s case, when Nhat Anh entered the salon, the staff used the familiar trick of complaining about the customer's damaged hair, then introducing a restorative solution before dyeing.

When finished, Nhat Anh was told by the shop owner that the solution was not included in the free package. The modeling fee was 900,000 VND, but because Nhat Anh's hair "did not meet the standards", the shop owner only paid 500,000 VND. That amount was deducted directly from the cost of the recovery solution. Nhat Anh left empty-handed.

Warning for students who need to work part-time

From his experience falling into the trap of the word “free”, Dinh Doan Nhat Anh advises new students not to believe in advertisements on social networks. If you want to beautify yourself, ask for advice from friends living in the city, and ask for recommendations of reputable addresses.

Doan Quynh Anh believes that no matter which hair salon you go to, free or paid, young people should ask for a detailed quote before agreeing to use the service.

Going with friends instead of going alone is also the advice that the victims warn the community, especially students from other provinces coming to Hanoi for the first time.

Faced with the situation of many new students losing money unjustly, Luong Thanh Tam, former Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of the 66th course of Cultural Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that new students are the group most easily targeted because they lack experience in distinguishing between truth and falsehood.

“The situation of first-year students being lured into various forms of fraud is quite common, in many different forms, mainly targeting the need to have extra work and income.

Even in my department, there were two new students who were lured by bad guys. Luckily, they were alert enough to report to the class officer and the person in charge so that the school could widely inform, helping all students to be more vigilant. However, not everyone is as lucky as the two of them,” Tam shared.

Tam also advised students to never believe in offers from strangers. The more attractive the offer, the harder it is to believe. Just a little bit of subjectivity, curiosity, and greed can lead to financial loss and psychological impact.

For information related to scholarships, tuition fees, and part-time jobs, students should verify information through official channels of the school, Student Union, academic advisor, or faculty.

“Proactively equipping yourself with knowledge and the habit of verifying information will also help you protect yourself better in the new living environment at university level,” the former Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union advised.

Le Quynh Chi

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/sap-bay-tuyen-mau-toc-sinh-vien-o-ha-noi-choang-vi-hoa-don-4-trieu-dong-20251125102638925.htm