Warning about fake documents
(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, the acts of making and using fake papers and documents have become more complicated with many sophisticated methods and tricks, affecting the operations of agencies, organizations and the rights of the people.
Dismantling many fake document rings
Recently, Nghe An authorities have discovered and arrested many rings of counterfeiting seals and documents of agencies and organizations.
Typically, in June 2023, the Criminal Police Department (Nghe An Police) arrested 3 subjects residing in Vinh city for the act of forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations, including: Thai Thanh Minh (born in 1963); Ho Van Hoa (born in 1970) and Nguyen Hong Linh (born in 1970).
The police determined that Thai Thanh Minh bought a computer and a color printer, then downloaded documents, certificates, and seals of agencies and organizations and used graphic design software to edit and print in color according to the requirements of those who needed to make fakes. To avoid detection, Minh did not directly accept to make fake seals and documents from those who needed them, but went through intermediaries, "henchmen" such as Ho Van Hoa and Nguyen Hong Linh.
All communications and transactions with Minh were conducted via social networks Zalo, Facebook... with anonymous contact information. The police have confiscated and temporarily detained the exhibits including 1 computer set, 2 printers, 36 7-color stamps engraved with the logo of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam; 1 college diploma, 1 university diploma from Vinh University of Technical Education, 1 culinary diploma from Nghe An College of Tourism; 1 certificate of meritorious person with the seal of Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station (Thanh Chuong); 5 inspection stamps, under each inspection stamp is the seal of the Motor Vehicle Inspection Center 37-05D... all of which were forged, along with hundreds of fake birth certificates, marriage certificates and many other forged documents of agencies and organizations.
Then, in July 2023, the Criminal Police Department (Nghe An Police) arrested two subjects Nguyen The Tuan (born in 1989) and Vo Trong Huy (born in 1988), both residing in Ha Tinh province, for the act of "Forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations; using fake seals or documents of agencies and organizations". Initially, the police agency determined that: From May to July 2023, Tuan and Huy used fake ID cards to go to bank offices in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa provinces... to create fake bank accounts.
After using fake ID cards to create fake accounts at banks, the subjects sold information along with login passwords and OTP codes for Telegram accounts named "HN" for prices ranging from 1 million VND to 1.5 million VND. With this method and trick, the two subjects Nguyen The Tuan and Vo Trong Huy successfully carried out many transactions, earning large sums of money. After buying fake accounts from their "henchmen", the subjects with the account name "HN" used tricks to hack into bank accounts to appropriate nearly 2 billion VND.
According to the authorities, many rings of trading, counterfeiting, and using seals and documents of agencies and organizations have been eradicated, but many subjects still openly commit illegal acts, causing public insecurity. More dangerously, some subjects use fake documents to commit fraud. Typically, on July 6, 2023, Quynh Luu District Police prosecuted Nguyen Van Duoc (born in 1986), residing in Nghia Khanh Commune (Nghia Dan) for the crime of "Using fake documents of agencies and organizations". Accordingly, due to the need to borrow money for business, Duoc pawned his personal property, a car, and handed over the vehicle registration certificate to the bank. However, due to business losses, Duoc went on Facebook to order fake vehicle documents. Then, he brought the car and fake vehicle registration certificate to a pawnshop in Quynh Chau Commune (Quynh Luu) to pawn, borrowing 350 million VND within 1 month. When the payment deadline came, Duoc did not come to pick up the car, nor did he pay the pawnshop owner, but went to Ho Chi Minh City to do business. On July 6, 2023, Duoc was arrested and prosecuted for "Using fake documents of agencies and organizations", then was additionally prosecuted for "Fraudulent appropriation of property".
In Dien Chau district, it is observed that the situation of buying, selling and using fake papers and documents of agencies and organizations in the area tends to increase and become more complicated. Subjects often take advantage of social networks and the gullibility and lack of knowledge of a part of the people, openly advertising fake paper making services with many sophisticated tricks. Those who hire fake papers only need to contact via Zalo or Facebook messages to have fake papers and documents that are identical to real papers and documents, difficult to detect with the naked eye. In some cases, due to the laxity of agencies and organizations in managing seals, papers and documents, a large number of fake papers are leaked out (real signatures and seals but fake content). Once they have obtained these fake documents, the subjects have used them for various illegal purposes such as: Through civil transactions, other transactions related to credit institutions, notary offices (mainly land-related transactions) and even state agencies to defraud and appropriate property or to carry out other illegal benefits.
Common acts of forging documents and papers include: Forging identity cards, household registration books, birth certificates, marriage certificates; forging land use right certificates, driver's licenses, vehicle registration certificates, degrees, etc. Given the above reality, in 2022, the Chief Justice of Dien Chau District People's Procuracy proposed that the Chairman of Dien Chau District People's Committee apply measures to prevent and combat crimes of using fake seals and documents of agencies and organizations; at the same time, prevent the use of fake documents to commit fraud, cause property damage, and violate the order of State administrative management.
Recommendations
In fact, the use of fake seals, documents and papers causes great damage, especially in real estate transactions, mortgages and credit loans. Many people have lost money because they believed in fake vehicle registration papers, land use right certificates, and fake labor recruitment contracts. Therefore, the authorities have implemented many solutions to combat this type of crime, and many cases have been brought to strict trial.
Typically, in April 2023, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of a group of inter-provincial subjects who forged documents and degrees led by Pham Duy Phong (born in 1992), residing in Vinh City. According to the case file, on November 11, 2021, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vietnam organized a review of visa applications for work in the Czech Republic and discovered that the College of Business Administration Diploma with the name Hoang Trung Hieu and the college diploma and transcript of academic results with the name Nguyen Van Hung were fake. During the investigation, the authorities discovered a ring of forgery and use of fake documents of agencies and organizations led by Phong.
Specifically, from the beginning of 2020 to January 2022, Phong organized, directed, and assigned tasks to a number of subjects to forge 32 types of documents including: Land use right certificates; University diplomas; College diplomas; Academic transcripts; Car registration certificates, Citizen identification cards... for many people to use for many different purposes, illegally profiting more than 527 million VND.
Along with Phong, there were 12 other defendants residing in many provinces and cities such as Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Ninh Binh, Khanh Hoa, Nam Dinh, Ha Tinh. Differentiating the roles and responsibilities of each defendant in the case, the court sentenced Pham Duy Phong to 39 months in prison, Nguyen Duy Cuong (born in 1994), residing in Vinh City, to 21 months in prison; Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Linh (born in 2000), residing in Quang Tri, to 31 months in prison. The remaining defendants were sentenced to between 9 months and 36 months in prison with suspended sentences for the crime of "Forgery of documents of agencies and organizations".
According to the authorities, one of the reasons for the crime of forging documents to have a "place to live" is because some people, in order to legalize procedures and degrees, despite knowing that it is illegal, still deliberately buy fake degrees and certificates. Any act of forging seals, documents or using fake papers violates the law and can lead to legal trouble.
Article 341 of the 2015 Penal Code stipulates that anyone who forges seals, documents or other papers of an agency or organization or uses fake seals, documents or papers to commit illegal acts may be fined from 30 to 100 million VND or may be imprisoned for up to 7 years. Therefore, people need to raise awareness, not buy, sell or use fake papers and degrees; be vigilant in transactions related to papers and documents.
Along with strengthening state management of seals and documents and stepping up the fight and prevention, authorities also recommend that people be careful when handing over, sending, or lending documents such as Driver's Licenses, Vehicle Registration Certificates, Land Use Rights Certificates, etc. to avoid being taken advantage of by bad guys to make fake documents and then exchange them for real documents for the purpose of appropriating property or committing other illegal acts.
