Be wary of car theft and scams.

Many scams are used to steal property.

In late July 2024, public opinion was stirred by the case of Tran Thi H., a sales employee of a car dealership in Vinh City, who committed 13 fraudulent acts, appropriating 13 cars worth over 10 billion VND from people in Nghe An province.

According to the investigation results of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Provincial Police): During the period from April 2023 to July 2024, due to losses from online cryptocurrency investments, in order to pay off debts, Tran Thi H. contacted customers who had previously purchased cars from her, informing them that the car manufacturer was offering a tax refund promotion and gift packages of accessories equivalent to 10% of the car's value; however, customers were required to hand over their cars and vehicle documents to H.

After obtaining the customers' vehicles, Tran Thi H. pawned them. In addition, H. also rented cars from self-drive car rental shops in Vinh City, Quynh Luu District, and Hoang Mai Town, then pawned them to pay off debts, cover personal expenses, and invest in cryptocurrency.

Currently, the case is being further investigated by the Criminal Investigation Agency (Provincial Police).

Previously, the Quỳnh Lưu District Police dismantled a ring that rented cars and forged documents to pawn them and seize assets. The suspects operated in various locations across the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, and others.

The ringleaders were Dau Duc Bang (born in 1991), residing in Quynh Van commune, Quynh Luu district, and Nguyen Ngoc Tinh (born in 1991), residing in Quynh Xuan ward, Hoang Mai town. To gain the victims' trust, the perpetrators posed as successful young entrepreneurs specializing in large-scale projects.

At the same time, search online for companies and shops that specialize in self-drive car rentals in various provinces and cities to rent a vehicle.

After renting the car, they took it to Nghe An province and forged various documents such as vehicle sales contracts, vehicle transfer documents, and power of attorney for vehicle sales. Then they sold it to Ho Trong Tam (born in 1989), residing in Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district, and divided the money among themselves.

Although Tâm knew that Bằng and Tĩnh's cars were obtained through fraud, he still agreed to buy them for prices ranging from 150 million to 300 million VND per car.

After gathering sufficient documents and evidence, the Quỳnh Lưu District Police simultaneously raided 27 locations in the provinces of Nghệ An, Thanh Hóa, Hà Tĩnh, etc., arresting suspects for fraud and appropriation of property, and for receiving stolen property; seizing 22 cars as evidence in the case.

In Nghe An province, there have been isolated cases where car owners sold their vehicles to others, only for the owners to later steal them. Specifically, on the afternoon of March 7, 2024, Mr. Tran Duc H., residing in Hung Phuc ward (Vinh City), parked his family's car in the area of ​​alley 64, Nguyen Sy Sach street (Vinh City), about 200 meters from his house. On the morning of March 8, when he went for his morning exercise, Mr. H. still saw his car in the same spot.

However, on the morning of March 9th, he discovered that his family's car had disappeared. He shared the incident on social media. Later, his family's car was found at the Thanh Chi Commune Health Station in Thanh Chuong District.

Following an investigation, the Vinh City Police have placed Nguyen Tu Tuan (44 years old, residing in Ben Thuy Ward, Vinh City) and Nguyen Tu Dung (39 years old, residing in Thanh Huong Commune, Thanh Chuong District) under temporary criminal detention for investigation into the act of theft.

According to the case file: In February 2024, Tuan sold a Toyota car to Mr. Tran Duc H. for 340 million VND but kept a set of keys. Later, due to debt, Tuan conceived the idea of ​​stealing the car back to sell it to pay off his debts, so he gave the keys and conspired with his younger brother, Nguyen Tu Dung, to steal Mr. H.'s car and hide it at the commune's health station in Thanh Chuong district.

Dung was subsequently arrested by authorities while hiding in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City; while Tuan was arrested urgently at his home on April 25, 2024.

Increased methods of vehicle theft and vandalism.

Besides fraudulent activities, criminals also take advantage of people's carelessness when parking their cars in deserted, unattended areas, out of sight, to steal car accessories such as removing tires, breaking mirrors, or smashing car windows to steal valuable items inside the car such as phones, handbags, and cash.

Typically, on the afternoon of February 22, 2024, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Th. (residing in Ben Thuy Ward, Vinh City) parked his Honda City car on Pham Dinh Toai Street, in front of the Provincial People's Court, opposite Vinh International Hospital. Upon returning to his car after finishing his business, he was shocked to discover that the passenger-side window had been smashed and his crossbody bag, containing money and all his documents, had been stolen.

On December 31, 2023, Ms. LTO, residing in Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh city, attended a year-end party at the Yen Son block cultural center. While parked on the sidewalk, her car was vandalized by thieves who smashed the passenger-side window and stole her wallet, which was in a bag placed on the car seat.

Besides the incidents of car windows being smashed and property stolen, the recent vandalism of parked cars (flat tires, scratched paint, punctured tires, broken mirrors, etc.) has raised concerns about security and order, and caused anxiety, worry, and frustration among many residents of Vinh City.

This is especially true for those who are forced to park their cars on the roadside overnight, or in locations without public parking. For example, on the night of July 3rd, many cars parked along Cao Huy Dinh street, in Block 15, Truong Thi ward (Vinh City), had their tires unexpectedly punctured by vandals.

Or consider the incident where several cars parked on the roadside near Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital had their tires punctured, a matter that was reported by residents on social media.

Increase vigilance.

According to authorities, the main reason for car thefts is negligence and a lack of vigilance on the part of the owners. Many people are complacent, leaving their cars parked in front of their houses or in unattended public places; cars often lack alarm systems and safety equipment, creating opportunities for criminals to commit crimes.

On the other hand, some people have a habit of treating their cars as "mobile homes," so they often leave their belongings (bags, wallets, phones, etc.) inside the vehicle.

To proactively prevent car theft, authorities advise citizens to be highly vigilant and take measures to protect and safeguard their property, preventing criminals from having the opportunity to commit crimes.

When leaving a vehicle, people should not leave valuables inside; they should not park in areas out of sight or with little pedestrian traffic. If a private residence does not have a parking space and the vehicle is parked in front of the house, surveillance cameras and alarm systems must be installed.

For businesses and individuals renting out self-drive cars, it is necessary to carefully verify the information of the renter; and to fully implement legal procedures and binding measures for car renters to avoid unfortunate risks.

In particular, following the recent case in which 13 car owners were defrauded and had their assets stolen by a sales employee of a car dealership in Vinh City, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police recommends that people should not be gullible and believe unverified promotional information; when discovering cases of illegal asset pawning, they should promptly report it to the nearest police station for timely handling.

Currently, the Vinh City Police Department is implementing a project to build a system of security surveillance cameras and traffic violation enforcement cameras throughout the city.

This is also one of the solutions to prevent and reduce the theft and vandalism of automobiles that have occurred recently.