Arrest of subject impersonating journalist, officer of the Press Department

Tuyen even impersonated the Department of Press and Publishing to visit public agencies in Thanh Hoa to congratulate and build relationships with leaders. In conferences, Tuyen alsoimpersonating a journalistcame to take pictures, report news and then took the opportunity to take pictures with the leaders to fool the people. But then, his tricks were exposed by Thanh Hoa Provincial Police.

On August 25, the Thanh Hoa Police Department received information about a crime involving a subject impersonating a journalist to defraud and appropriate property from local residents. Upon receiving the information, Colonel Khuong Duy Oanh - Deputy Director, Head of the Thanh Hoa Police Department's Criminal Police Department directed officers of the Criminal Police Department to investigate, clarify, and strictly handle the subject according to the provisions of law.

Through verification, the Criminal Police Department identified the subject of the fraud as Trinh Ngoc Tuyen. Tuyen has a press card of the Vietnam Law Newspaper issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications. Suspecting that this card is fake, the authorities verified with the Ministry of Information and Communications and learned that this unit did not issue a card to any journalist named Trinh Ngoc Tuyen. The press card number in Tuyen's fake card is the number issued to another journalist. The Department of Press and Publication also issued an official dispatch confirming that there is no officer or employee named Trinh Ngoc Tuyen, nor did they send anyone to work or congratulate the agencies in Thanh Hoa province.

It is known that Tuyen was originally unemployed, graduated from Hue University, and had an internship at a press agency but was not able to work so he was not signed a contract. Since then, Tuyen has returned to his hometown to wander, wherever he goes, he brags that he is a journalist, has many connections to fool everyone.

Thanks to his fake journalist label, Tuyên met and had a love affair with a female director of a company based in Nghi Son town. This person protected and helped Tuyên financially, so he had more conditions to show his role as a “journalist”. Until Tuyên was arrested, this woman still did not know that her lover was an unemployed person who specialized in fraud for a living.

To make people trust, in 2018, through social networks, Tuyen ordered from a subject in Ho Chi Minh City 1fake press cardnamed Trinh Ngoc Tuyen, pen name Ngoc Tuyen, working at Vietnam Law Newspaper. Tuyen used the fake press card above to show off, introducing to many people that he was a reporter to create prestige to commit fraud.

One of Tuyen's victims was Ms. Nguyen Thi Canh, born in 1948, in Hai Linh ward, Nghi Son town, Thanh Hoa. Knowing that Ms. Canh had a problem that needed to be complained about, Tuyen approached Ms. Canh, introducing himself as a reporter from Phap Luat Newspaper, an officer of the Press Department who could help Ms. Canh with the land dispute.

Because her family was subject to land acquisition and site clearance, but Ms. Canh had not agreed to the compensation plan, she had filed a lawsuit for many years and was having conflicts and land disputes with Mr. Mai Van Kiem's ​​family. So when she saw Tuyen introduce himself as working at the Vietnam Law Newspaper and being an officer of the Press Department, Ms. Canh trusted him very much and "asked" Tuyen to help.

Accordingly, Tuyên pretended to collect information, took from Mrs. Canh 10 complaint forms, household registration book, photocopied land extracts and promised to help her claim compensation and win the land dispute. Tuyên asked Mrs. Canh to give him a fee to resolve the matter.

Ms. Canh gave Tuyen money many times, totaling 27.5 million VND. Specifically, in June 2019, Tuyen received money from Ms. Canh twice, once 5 million VND, once 2 million VND. Then, at the end of August, beginning of September 2019, Tuyen asked for another 5 million VND...

After many times of receiving and delivering money, by July 2020 (more than a year later), seeing that Tuyen still had not helped with anything, Mrs. Canh was very impatient. Therefore, when Tuyen called to ask for an additional 4 million VND, Mrs. Canh asked about the progress of the work. Tuyen still kept saying, "Don't worry, I will help you. By the 15th of the 6th lunar month of 2020, at the latest, Mr. Kiem will have to demolish the house to return it to you." Thinking it was real, Mrs. Canh continued to send money to Tuyen.

After receiving the money, Tuyên did not do anything to help Ms. Canh but used all the money for personal expenses. Only when the police discovered and summoned him did he admit that he had no function, duty, or authority, nor did he know anyone who could help Ms. Canh. Tuyên made such promises to Ms. Canh in order to appropriate the victim’s money.

After knowing that he was exposed, Tuyen took the fake press card to the riverbank, burned it and threw the ashes into the river. The police could not collect it, but they collected a photo of the card on Tuyen's phone.

On September 5, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Department initiated a criminal case and prosecuted Trinh Ngoc Tuyen for fraud and property appropriation. During the verification process, the Investigation Department determined that there may be many more victims of Trinh Ngoc Tuyen. Anyone who has been scammed by Tuyen should report to the Criminal Police Department of Thanh Hoa Police.