The people, hailing from northern and north central Vietnamese localities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh, said they were offered to go to Da Nang and complete procedures to travel to South Korea for work, with salaries of at least VND50 million ($2,170) a month.

Tran Danh Cuong, 43, and Pham Doan Tuan, 39, were said to be the ones who offered them the deal. The two used Facebook to advertise their services, saying they could bring people to South Korea to work from Da Nang on ships, for a fee of $10,000 per person.

The victims have since handed VND5 million each to the duo for health check-ups and Covid-19 testing. On May 13, the duo told the 165 people to travel to Da Nang while recommending some hotels to stay at.

On May 15, the duo said each person would need to pay an additional $300 for "tickets to get on the ship," and that the vessel would depart at night. But Cuong and Tuan soon ran away, leaving the people behind.

An approximate VND1.8 billion ($78,250) was given to the duo, it was revealed.

Police investigation found the pictures used by Cuong and Tuan to be those of somebody else, indicating fraudulent conduct.

The 165 people in question so far have tested negative for Covid-19.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Da Nang has suspended multiple transportation services to curb the spread of the disease, which caused the stranding. The central Vietnam city has recorded 144 community cases in Vietnam's latest Covid-19 wave.