Uncovering a Teen Scam Ring: High School Graduates Defraud Victims Nationwide

The Gia Nghia City Police have busted a gang of recently graduated high school students who scammed hundreds of people out of their money using a "refund support for scam victims" ruse on social media.

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According to the Dak Nong Provincial Police, on August 1, 2024, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Gia Nghia City Police decided to temporarily detain Nguyen Tan Tr (born 2005); Phung Tuan D; Hoang Van T; Nguyen Ngo Thanh T; Nguyen Quy H and Tran Khac L, (born 2006) for investigation of fraud.

The suspects: Nguyen Tan Tr; Phung Tuan D; Hoang Van T; Nguyen Ngo Thanh T at the investigation agency

(Source: Dak Nong Police)

The initial investigation results determined that after learning how to defraud others by pretending to “help scam victims retrieve their money,” the suspects used mobile phones, laptops with internet access, or visited internet cafes to log into Facebook accounts. They would then monitor live streams of Facebook pages with fraudulent content and find ways to contact and message the victims, informing them that they had been scammed. They would also claim that they had been scammed in the past but had managed to retrieve their money with help, and if the victims agreed, they would guide them through the process of getting their money back, but in reality, they were guiding them through steps to steal their money.

Once the victims realized they had been scammed, the suspects would block all communication and delete their social media accounts, creating new ones to continue their fraudulent activities and target more victims.

According to Nguyen Tan Tr and Tran Khac L, they and their accomplices joined live streams and approached victims, offering to help them retrieve their scammed money. The money obtained from these scams was used for personal entertainment and travel expenses.

Initially, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Gia Nghia City Police identified that from March 2024 to July 25, 2024, the suspects had scammed and appropriated over VND 721 million from 135 victims in Gia Nghia City and other provinces and cities nationwide. During the investigation, the police seized 13 mobile phones and various related evidence and documents.