Arrested 3 subjects impersonating journalists and reporters to defraud and appropriate property

Previously, through the work of grasping the situation in the area, Quy Hop District Police discovered that 3 subjects claiming to be journalists and reporters appeared in the area to work with agencies and businesses in the district to "cooperate", write articles and "mobilize" financial support on the occasion of the April 30 - May 1 holiday.

Quy Hop District Police have proactively coordinated and discussed with local agencies and businesses. If any subjects with the above signs are discovered, they must immediately report to Quy Hop District Police for coordination and handling.

On April 28, a number of agencies and businesses reported that three individuals claiming to be reporters from the Health and Environment Magazine and the Vietnam Clean Energy Magazine came to their headquarters with the above-mentioned behavior. Immediately after receiving the information, the Quy Hop District Police reported to the Provincial Police Department and began working with the three individuals.

Through identity verification, it is known that the three subjects above are: Ho Van Tam (born in 1986), residing in Tranh Dau village, Gia Xuyen commune, Hai Duong city, Hai Duong province; Pham Khuong Duy (born in 1983) and Pham Viet Thang (born in 1987), both residing in Tuyen Quang city, Tuyen Quang province.

The letter of introduction used by the subjects and the official dispatch of the Health and Environment Magazine sent to the Quy Hop District Police. Photo: Hong Ngoc

The subjects presented a Letter of Introduction bearing the name of the Magazine "Health and Environment", No. 98/GGT/SK&MT sent to the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the Provincial Police, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the district and commune, introducing Ho Van Tam to work. The letter of introduction was signed, stamped, and named the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pham Thi My. Ho Van Tam could not present his reporter or journalist card.

Immediately, the Quy Hop District Police sent a letter requesting verification to the Health and Environment Magazine. On April 28, the Health and Environment Magazine responded by sending a letter stating that the above letter of introduction was fake. The letter also confirmed that the three individuals mentioned above were not reporters of this magazine.

During the investigation, Ho Van Tam confessed that he was a scrap dealer and resided in Thai Nguyen city. Duy and Thang were probationary reporters for the Vietnam Clean Energy Magazine and their area of ​​operation was from Ninh Binh to the North. The subjects confessed that, realizing that the environment was a sensitive issue, they colluded with each other tofraud and appropriation of property

Ho Van Tam, in collaboration with another person, obtained a fake letter of introduction, and Tam wrote it himself, asking to go to agencies and units to collect information to serve the environmental protection project in mineral exploitation. After that, the three subjects used these documents to pressure agencies and businesses, "raise the issue" of advertising and support, in order to appropriate money and divide it among themselves.

Subjects Ho Van Tam (middle), Pham Khuong Duy and Pham Viet Thang. Photo: Hong Ngoc

The subjects confessed that from April 20 until they were discovered and arrested by Quy Hop District Police on April 28, using the above tricks, the subjects had defrauded and appropriated nearly 30 million VND from a number of agencies and businesses in Quy Hop District.

Currently, the Investigation Police Agency of Quy Hop District Police is continuing to expand the investigation.