Arrest of subject who cheated on US study abroad procedures, embezzling more than 8 billion VND

On March 24, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department issued a decisionprosecute the case,prosecuted and executed an arrest warrant for Nguyen Phuong Thanh (36 years old, residing in District 10) for the crime of "Fraudulent appropriation of property".

The above decisions and orders have been approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy.

According to preliminary investigation information, since 2011, Mr. G. (living in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi) has known Thanh.

In 2017, Mr. G. wanted to study in the US. Knowing this, Thanh said that he had a relationship with the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and could easily help Mr. G. get his application approved for studying in the US. Because of trust, Mr. G. informed his biological mother, Mrs. B.

Mr. G. and his mother have transferred money to Thanh many times with a total of 4.5 billion VND and 153 thousand USD (equivalent to more than 3.7 billion VND). But after receiving the money, Thanh did not use it to take care of Mr. G's study abroad procedures but used it for personal purposes.

Waiting forever without seeing a student visa, while Thanh was avoiding him, Mr. G. and his mother filed a complaint with the Ho Chi Minh City Police.

When the police got involved to clarify, Thanh did not cooperate and gave a evasive statement.

The police focused on verifying, investigating, summoning, recording statements of relevant people, and requesting appraisal of seized documents.

The Investigation Police Agency clarified that Thanh had no relationship with the US Consulate General and had absolutely no function, authority, or ability to carry out the study abroad procedures as promised to Mr. G., so they prosecuted and temporarily detained Thanh.

Currently, the police are expanding the investigation to clarify the roles of a number of related subjects.