Arrested subject posting fake Facebook posts to 'swallow' money from people who need to exchange foreign currency

In early October 2022, Tan Ky District Police received a report from Mr. CDS, residing in Giai Xuan Commune, about being scammed and having his money stolen. Before that, due to the need to exchange Vietnamese currency to US dollars (USD), Mr. S. searched for the service on Facebook.

Mr. S. found the Facebook page “Anh Pham” posting about foreign currency exchange services, then sent messages via messenger to discuss and agree. When Mr. S. wanted to exchange for 10,000 USD, the owner of the Facebook account “Anh Pham” asked Mr. S. to transfer 224,000,000 VND to the bank account number 1024602… of “Bui Van Hoa”. After receiving the money, Mr. S. will receive 10,000 USD into his international payment account.

However, after Mr. S. successfully transferred the money, the Facebook account "Anh Pham" blocked contact with Mr. S. and appropriated all of this money. Recognizing that this was a rather reckless fraud case, which needed to be urgently investigated and clarified to stabilize the people's psychology, the provincial police leaders promptly directed the Tan Ky district police to establish a special project to fight.

Subject Le Thanh Liem. Photo: Hong Ngoc

On October 12, 2022, under the close and timely direction of the Provincial Police leaders, Tan Ky District Police sent a working group to Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province to solve the case. Here, the police force arrested Le Thanh Liem (born 2000, residing in Quan Nha village, Tien Hai commune, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province) for the act offraud and appropriation of property.

At the police station, Le Thanh Liem confessed to all his crimes. Accordingly, Liem used a fake Facebook account to post information about the money exchange service. In order to hide his whereabouts, Liem rented a bank account of a person named Bui Van Hoa in Soc Son district, Hanoi city for the victim to transfer money into. After receiving the money, Liem cut off all contact and deleted his Facebook account to appropriate the property.

With the above trick, Le Thanh Liem defrauded Mr. S. in Tan Ky district (Nghe An province) of 224,000,000 VND. The investigation team seized 01 laptop, 02 mobile phones, 110,000,000 VND and many related evidences.

Currently, the Investigation Police Department of Tan Ky District Police is detaining suspect Le Thanh Liem and continuing to expand the case.

The police agency recommends that people need to be extremely vigilant with advertisements for currency-related services on the internet. When there is a need to buy, send, or exchange foreign currency, people need to go to authorized points of sale and exchange of foreign currency within the network of licensed credit institutions in accordance with the provisions of law./.