The Bao Loc City Police, in Vietnam’s Lam Dong Province, have made a move against fraud by deciding to prosecute a case and arrest 14 suspects for temporary detention, investigating them for “fraudulent appropriation of property.”
Among the 14 prosecuted suspects, the Bao Loc City Police identified Pham Minh Thanh (26 years old), Nguyen Huu Nghia (34 years old), To Hoang Bao Thuy (24 years old), all residing in Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province; Tran Hoai Tien (32 years old), residing in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City; and Nguyen Hoai Tam (24 years old), residing in Bao Lam District, Lam Dong Province, as the masterminds behind this large-scale fraud ring.
Four suspects from a large-scale counterfeit money sales ring recently busted and arrested by the Bao Loc City Police. Photo: Ministry of Public Security
Through surveillance and crime tip-offs from the people, the police became aware of a group of individuals advertising and selling counterfeit money on the Facebook social network. Initial investigations revealed a large-scale operation involving multiple groups employing extremely cunning and sophisticated tactics.
Recognizing the seriousness of this type of property appropriation fraud, characterized by cunning tricks and sophisticated online schemes, the Lam Dong Province Police Department directed the Bao Loc City Police to coordinate with professional departments to establish a specialized case to combat and eradicate this criminal activity.
Police officers examining sites involved in the ring’s operation, where they used hell bank notes to defraud people into buying counterfeit money through social media. Photo: Ministry of Public Security
After gathering evidence, on July 24, 2024, four task forces comprising over 40 officers simultaneously raided four locations of the fraud ring in rented houses on Phan Dinh Giot, Tran Quoc Toan, Tran Phu Streets, and Tan Hoa 1 Village, Loc Nga Commune, Bao Loc City.
The examination of these four locations led to the seizure of 15 desktop computers, 10 ATM and Visa cards, 19 mobile phones, eight phone SIM cards, numerous bags containing hell bank notes with a face value of 200,000 VND, and boxes filled with odor-removing granules and cement packages adorned with hell bank notes.
Hell bank notes used by the fraudsters, affixed to the surface of packages delivered to customers who believed they were purchasing counterfeit money. Photo: Ministry of Public Security
During the investigation, the suspects confessed that, from January 2024 to the present, they had created numerous fake Facebook accounts and run advertisements offering counterfeit money with the following exchange rates: 200,000 VND in genuine currency = 5,000,000 VND in counterfeit; 250,000 VND = 10,000,000 VND; 300,000 VND = 15,000,000 VND; 400,000 VND = 16,000,000 VND; and 450,000 VND = 22,000,000 VND.
Customers ordering counterfeit money were not required to make a deposit but only needed to provide their phone number and delivery address. In reality, the fraudsters were not selling counterfeit money. Instead, they packed items like odor-removing powder and cement and affixed a 200,000 VND hell bank note to the package. These parcels were then shipped via express delivery services, with the recipients unable to inspect the contents before acceptance.
A large number of boxes prepared by the fraudsters, ready to be used for express delivery to customers. Photo: Ministry of Public Security
Over a period of about six months, this fraud ring successfully delivered more than 23,000 orders nationwide and appropriated over 6 billion VND. The successful deliveries accounted for approximately 30% of the total orders shipped (around 6,000 orders).
Currently, the Bao Loc City Police are coordinating with the Lam Dong Province Police Department’s Division of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention to extract relevant data and continue processing the case in accordance with the law.
The Bao Loc City Police request that anyone who has fallen victim to this fraud ring contact the police at 206A Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Ward 2, Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province, or call 02633.865.466 to provide information and assist in the investigation of this case.
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