I accepted a job working in Ha Long teaching, contact signed. The company arranged the airport pickup and bus. Took a dodgy bus from Ha Noi to Ha long. The next day realised my passport was missing from its holder, holder had been in my jeans pocket, no worries of dropping tight pocket and wallet, wouldn't have fallen if I was upside down. Before, I was due to begin work I had agreed a two week acclimation break in Da Nang - pre booked flights, I missed the flight out so I took a risk and jumped on a night train to Da Nang. Reported missing passport in Da Nang. About four days after the passport went missing, my company finally got word from the dodgy bus driver that my passport had been found. I then, against quite some resistance, got them to agree to send it to me, I received it. This whole scenario felt like one giant scam to me, I had already paid a recruiter to find me the job and obtain the visa, I had my reasons to suspect it, although no smoking gun. To try and salvage something out of this disaster of a trip, I started applying for jobs locally. Found out from my potential new employer that I would need the cooperation of the company that sponsored my entry to make everything go smoothly. The original company agreed to it if I give them a bunch of money, they did have an apartment waiting for me.
My question is what assurances do I have that if I pay the company I'm already suspicious of, to pass everything over to the new company (visa and termination of contract) that they will actually do it? And, what can they actually do to me in terms of blacklisting me from entry to Vietnam or causing me problems with immigration/police, if I don't pay or just return home, I have only been in Vietnam for 9 days - UK passport.
Please don't ask for names of companies etc, I also would prefer no sympathy, but feel free to tell me I'm not smart.
