Son’s Account Reveals Mother Falsly Accused of Extortion on Social Media
Regarding a recent incident where a street vendor was falsely accused of overcharging Western tourists 500,000 VND for three pineapples, the victim, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (residing in Xuan Dinh, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi) shared her account of the event.
According to a report by Hanoi Television, Ms. Thanh is illiterate, but upon learning from her son, she discovered that she had been slandered and unjustly criticized by the public on social media.
The truth is that Ms. Thanh sold two Western tourists a bag of pineapples for 50,000 VND, not 500,000 VND for three as rumored online.
Ms. Thanh’s life was disrupted after being unjustly accused and criticized online. (Photo: Hanoi Television)
“I returned 450,000 VND to the tourists. But for some reason, they kept grabbing pineapples from my stand. I didn’t understand the situation. Since I don’t speak English, and they didn’t speak Vietnamese, I couldn’t make a sale, so I returned their money. Plus, they only bought one pineapple, not three, as claimed online.
That’s all there is to the story. I didn’t argue with them; I couldn’t understand what they were saying. When I saw them grabbing pineapples aggressively, I ignored them,” said Ms. Thanh.
Ms. Thanh couldn’t comprehend how a minor incident could escalate into a major controversy on social media. The street vendor’s life has been significantly affected by the harsh criticism she has faced.
“I’m telling the truth, so I’m not afraid of anything. But my family members are understandably upset. People have called me greedy and accused me of trying to get rich quick,” added Ms. Thanh.
Origin of the Incident
The incident stems from a viral clip circulating on social media, alleging that a street vendor “ripped off” Western tourists by charging them 500,000 VND for three pineapples. The clip shows Ms. Thanh engaged in an argument with two female foreign tourists.
The heated clip between Ms. Thanh and the two Western tourists was previously posted on social media. (Photo: Screenshot)
On April 29th, Ms. Thanh visited the Hang Dao Ward Police Station to provide a statement. According to the authorities, Ms. Thanh sold one pre-cut pineapple in a plastic bag for 50,000 VND each. The two foreign tourists paid with a 500,000 VND note, and Ms. Thanh returned 450,000 VND in change. However, after accepting the change, the tourists attempted to take two additional unpeeled pineapples, which Ms. Thanh refused. This led to a heated exchange.
The police also interviewed several witnesses to the incident. These witnesses confirmed that Ms. Thanh was only selling pineapples for 50,000 VND per bag. Therefore, the claim spread on social media that Ms. Thanh “ripped off” Western tourists for 500,000 VND for three pineapples is false.
Ms. Thanh has no prior criminal record. The Hoan Kiem District Police stated that there is insufficient evidence to charge Ms. Thanh with any wrongdoing, as she did not solicit tourists for higher prices.
