The Online Scam Ring: Unraveling the Web of Deceit with 2,000 Daily Calls to Trap Unsuspecting Victims Nationwide.

The Bac Ninh Provincial Police Investigation Agency has announced the successful resolution of a case, initiating prosecution and arresting four individuals from Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces for “fraudulently appropriating assets” by illegally accessing Binance application user accounts.

According to the Bac Ninh Police, the mastermind behind this scheme was Nguyen Duc Hung, a 25-year-old from Nghia Dan district in Nghe An province. His accomplices included Hoang Dinh Tai, 27, from Nghia Dan; Nguyen Phung Hoang, 22, from Thanh Chuong district in Nghe An; and Nguyen Anh Tuan, 26, from Nhu Xuan district in Thanh Hoa province.

Since the beginning of 2024, using this modus operandi, the group has confessed to successfully executing over 50 scams, defrauding victims of approximately 10 billion VND across various provinces and cities in Vietnam, including one victim from Bac Ninh. The stolen funds were used by the perpetrators to make car deposits, fund online gaming activities, and for personal expenses.

Previously, on May 30, the Thai Binh City Police announced the arrest of a group led by Phan Tan Du (born 2002, residing in Nhan Bieu 1, Trieu Thuong, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri), who rented accommodations in Da Nang to carry out fraud by hijacking Zalo and Facebook accounts, with victims including individuals from Thai Binh.

Investigations revealed that since September 2023, this group had created fake contest websites to attract participants, with the ulterior motive of stealing personal information to gain unauthorized access to their Zalo and Facebook accounts.

Subsequently, they impersonated the account owners, sending messages to their friends and family to request loans or money transfers to bank accounts under the same name as the account owner, thus establishing trust. Once the victims transferred money, the fraudsters would appropriate it for personal use.

Upon receiving funds in the bank accounts, the perpetrators would transfer the money to online gambling accounts to “launder” it.

During the investigation, the suspects confessed to defrauding numerous individuals across multiple provinces and cities in Vietnam. They had been operating since September 2023 and had successfully embezzled over 1 billion VND.

In Cao Bang, on May 11, the Criminal Police Department, in collaboration with the Police Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control, successfully dismantled a group engaging in online fraud by impersonating Shopee e-commerce platform employees in Cao Bang and Thai Nguyen provinces.

Their modus operandi involved pretending to be Shopee staff offering customer appreciation gifts and instructing victims to add them on Zalo. They would then guide victims through a series of transactions, ultimately defrauding them of their money.

The Criminal Police Department and the Police Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control, in coordination with professional units of the Cao Bang Provincial Police, detained Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dang and searched her residence at 366, Ward 5, De Tham, Cao Bang City.

During the search, 12 individuals were found at Dang’s residence, actively involved in making calls to potential victims across Vietnam to execute their fraudulent scheme. Authorities seized 17 laptops and other related evidence. On average, the group made 1,500–2,000 calls per day to lure unsuspecting individuals into their trap.

Previously, on March 15, 2024, the Police Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control, in collaboration with professional units of the Cao Bang Provincial Police, discovered five Chinese citizens residing in Ward 8, Song Bang, Cao Bang City, who were suspected of using technology to commit crimes.

These individuals had used 35 computers to hijack user accounts by sending links infected with malware via the QQ social media platform. The Cao Bang Provincial Police coordinated with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Public Security Department in China to hand over the five Chinese citizens, along with all related objects and documents, for handling according to the Criminal Law of China.

In Da Nang, on May 16, the Criminal Police Department of the Da Nang City Police apprehended a group of five individuals involved in a transnational online fraud ring through online gaming.

The suspects were identified as Tran My Phu An, Bui Ngoc Hau, Ly Huynh Huy, Duong Van Tinh, and Truong Thai Huy. Investigations revealed that Tinh was hired to manage the group’s operations, while the other four executed the fraud by accessing computer networks. Their primary scheme involved creating a fake gambling website, Cobet.com, to entice players to deposit money, which they would then steal.

At the time of their arrest, the group was in the process of searching for online gamers, sending them links, and enticing them to deposit money. The perpetrators admitted to being acquaintances who had previously worked together in Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines. Unemployed and in need of money, they conspired to defraud online gamers through the fake gambling website.

Despite their short operation span, they had successfully scammed over 300 victims, amassing more than 500 million VND. Evidence seized included six computers, two motorbikes, and eight mobile phones.

In Ha Nam, on May 11, 2024, the Criminal Police Team of Thanh Liem District Police, in coordination with the Police Department for High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control of Ha Nam Provincial Police, apprehended two individuals, Ly Quang Dac and Do Trong Chuan (both born in 2006), for “fraudulently appropriating assets” in cyberspace.

During the interrogation, the duo confessed that, motivated by financial needs, they had created fake Facebook and Zalo accounts and used disposable phone numbers to post advertisements on social media, offering low-interest loans with quick disbursements and no collateral requirements. When interested individuals contacted them, they pretended to be bank employees, providing loan application guidance and requesting various fees, such as processing fees and insurance premiums. If discovered, they would block all communication channels to avoid repercussions. Since the beginning of 2023, they have successfully defrauded hundreds of victims nationwide, amassing over 700 million VND.