These advertisements are run by ‘testers’ in a group to test your partner’s loyalty on social media in Vietnam.
Currently, it is easy to find such ‘testing groups’ on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
These groups can have hundreds to thousands of members.
If you search for the keyword ‘test nguoi yeu’ (test darlings) on TikTok, you will find some with over 195 million search results.
Confusing services
This emerging trend reflects the strange needs of many couples and the development of confusing services.
According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the service of testing lovers first appeared in early 2023.
Recently, the number of people joining ‘lover tests’ groups and searching for related terms has been increasing daily.
The main contributors to these groups are the testers, who often post their services as statuses. Once someone interacts with their post, they would immediately message that person.
This service attracts a large number of people, with some posts receiving dozens of comments within an hour.
The cost of these services can range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese dong, and sometimes they can even be free if the tester wants to gain experience. (US$1 = VND24,500)
Additionally, there are monthly service packages and customized services that can cost millions of dong.
Not only do group members want to test their partners, but some individuals also use the service to break up with their significant others.
In these cases, testers suggest playing the role of a ‘third person’ to flirt with the client’s partner in order to gather evidence for a breakup.
There are various tactics used to end a relationship, such as posing as an old flame, sending love letters to the target’s house, combining photos, or fabricating messages.
A person tried commenting on a status posted by a group member named Linh, in a ‘lover tests’ group with over 800 members.
Within five minutes of the comment, while Linh had not yet responded, another young woman actively messaged her to avail of her service.
Surprisingly, three other testers also came forward to offer their services.
Given the high number of active testers, it is evident that the demand for this service has increased significantly.
|
|
| A tester named Linh shows confidence in her flirting skills. |
Will the flirtation last only a day or two?
In the discussion, Linh offered three service packages for testing a lover. These included sending messages to gauge the customer’s level of love, flirting with sweet words, arranging a date, and suggesting a breakup.
Linh claimed to have a success rate of over 90% in her tests, and even managed to make some male clients fall in love with her.
Reporters from Tuoi Tre discovered that before starting the testing process, clients have to provide personal information about their partners, such as habits, occupation, home address, phone number, or Facebook account.
With this information, the testers claimed they could reveal the true nature of their partners.
To attract customers, Linh and other testers post beautiful photos of themselves on social media. They also tailor their conversation style based on the information they receive from customers.
During the testing phase, the testers keep the customers regularly updated on their progress. If the target seems to be falling for their trap, the tester would either provide evidence or conclude the testing service.
Nhi, another tester, stated that she would not charge customers if she couldn’t meet their requirements.
In Nhi’s words, the service of ‘trapping lovers’ is a method to retaliate against cheaters. She claimed she would make the customer’s lover fall in love with her, then meet with him until he becomes emotionally attached, at which point she would separate from him.
When asked about the risk of being exposed, both Linh and Nhi confidently stated that love testers like them use multiple accounts and prefer to remain anonymous, making it nearly impossible to identify them.
Based on the stories from testers and customer posts, it can be assumed that most testers are under the age of 25. They tend to test lovers, relatives, or friends, with only a few wanting to test their spouses.
Reporters assumed the role of a female tester and discovered that most customers used the service due to doubts and emotions.
For example, a 23-year-old woman named Ngan tried the service because she noticed her lover had been secretly messaging and smiling for the past few days.
In another case, a girl named My wanted to test her boyfriend because he had been slow to respond to her messages, leaving her worried that he might be cheating.
|
|
| There is a lot of promotion of services for testing darlings on social media in Vietnam. |
In addition to these cases, many clients are uncertain about their love due to geographical distance and their partners’ attitudes.
Some reasons for seeking testing services are quite trivial, such as late replies to messages, interacting with unknown individuals online, or not meeting online chat schedules.
Regarding those customers who want to test their spouses, they usually do so in response to rumors they have heard.
It is worth noting that many full-time professionals and pregnant women use the service to verify information they have received.
According to psychologist Le Minh Huan from An Nhien Education – Psychology Application Center in Ho Chi Minh City, both young and emotionally immature individuals tend to use these services.
Huan believes that immature love is prone to disagreements and conflicts, and that their behavior towards each other may be subjective. Resorting to testing services suggests a fragile trust in their partners, according to Huan.
He added that it is not surprising for testers to boast about their high success rates. Those who easily shrug off normal proposals for outings are more likely to fall into the trap.
An individual who is in doubt is more likely to be swayed by someone else who shows compassion, resulting in a higher success rate for testers.
Despite the high success rate, Huan believes that these relationships are doomed to fail.
Using such services will lead to insincerity and unfairness. Even if the testing is successful, doubts will still persist, leading the relationship into an impasse.
So individuals who use these services should reflect on themselves and their own capability to maintain and improve their relationship, Huan recommended.
