The victim, identified as Giang, was lured into the scheme after joining a Facebook group promoting educational opportunities for children, police said on Saturday.

She was contacted by a person posing as an education consultant who introduced her to a supposed scholarship program called "Lighting Up Dreams."

The scam quickly escalated. The so-called consultant persuaded Giang to move their conversation to Lotus Chat. She was then told she needed to pay a small VND639,000 ($25) "application review fee," a sum that was promised to be refunded immediately.

However, that initial transfer was just the beginning.

Over the course of two days, Giang was instructed to make 18 additional payments, each allegedly required to fix issues like "incomplete procedures," "incorrect transfer content" or "missing documents." Each time, she was warned that any delay could cost her child the scholarship.

Desperate not to jeopardize the opportunity, she transferred nearly VND4 billion to two accounts: one at Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) under Manh Vu Import-Export Equipment Trading and Services Co., Ltd., and another at BIDV under the name Nguyen Ngoc Tai. Eventually, the scammers cut off all contact.

Only then did Giang realize she had been defrauded. She reported the case to local police, who have now launched an investigation.

Authorities say the incident is part of a disturbing trend of online scams targeting parents eager to secure extracurricular or educational programs for their children. These scams often pose as scholarship opportunities, using urgent messaging and obscure apps to pressure victims into repeated payments.