Nghe An authorities warn about high-tech gambling tricks

Lottery gambling is booming

Recently, the authorities have continuously dismantled many large-scale lottery and number betting gambling rings. Typically, at 6:30 p.m. on June 29, under the direct direction of the provincial police, Hoang Mai town police coordinated with the Mobile Police Department to simultaneously arrest 18 subjects at 17 lottery and number betting spots in Quynh Xuan ward, Mai Hung ward (Hoang Mai town); Quynh Ngoc commune (Quynh Luu) and Tan Uyen town, Binh Duong province.

Subjects in the gambling ring of over 400 billion VND. Photo: Duc Vu

This gambling ring was established and formed a system of "henchmen" in many areas in Hoang Mai town, Quynh Luu district and Binh Duong province, with more than 20 participants, the amount of money the subjects used for gambling per day averaged more than 1 billion VND.

In the process of eliminating this large-scale lottery gambling ring, the police force encountered many difficulties. For example, when arresting Vu Dinh Sam, the police force had to break the locks of three doors to enter his room.

Vu Dinh Sam's house is equipped with a surveillance camera system. Photo: Duc Vu

To ensure safety during the crime, Sam installed a dense surveillance camera system in front of and inside the house, and the entrances and exits between the houses were reinforced. Through the investigation, it was initially determined that the amount of money the subjects had gambled from the beginning of 2021 to the time of arrest was more than 400 billion VND.

The leaders of the gambling ring. Photo: Duc Vu

Lottery has spread from urban areas, plains to mountainous districts with transaction amounts of up to tens of billions of VND and especially many female subjects participating and operating the line. Typically in May 2022, Quy Hop District Police successfully broke up a gambling case in the form of recording lottery numbers with a transaction amount of more than 10 billion VND, temporarily detaining 07 subjects.

Subjects in the gambling ring run by Hoang Thi Hai Yen (born 1995), residing in Minh Hop commune, Quy Hop district. Photo: Document

The leader of this gambling ring is Hoang Thi Hai Yen (born in 1995), residing in Minh Hop commune. Yen's effective assistant is Manh Thi Thu Hang (born in 1989), residing in Nghia Xuan commune, Quy Hop district. Hang was hired by Yen and assigned the direct task of dealing with gamblers, collecting and keeping records, profit sharing ratios, etc.

Similarly, on April 18, Vinh City Police arrested 12 people in a gambling ring led by Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (born in 1979), residing in Nghi Phu Commune, Vinh City. For a long time, Oanh has been called the "big sister" in the lottery village in Nghi Phu Commune and neighboring areas. Below Oanh are 11 agents who specialize in collecting lottery boards and then transferring them to Oanh at the end of each day. Initially, the investigation agency proved that the daily transaction amount through this gambling ring is more than 1.5 billion VND.

Subject Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh. Photo: Hong Ngoc

Previously, from April 11 to 15, Vinh City Police broke up a case and arrested 15 people in a lottery gambling ring led by Ho Thi Hong Ha (born in 1973), residing in Tan Hung hamlet, Hung Loc commune, Vinh city. To conceal from the authorities, Ha directed her "juniors" to thoroughly use the internet to gamble, even instructing, mobilizing, and persuading players to abandon traditional lottery betting methods and participate in online lottery betting. Every day, the average amount of money transacted through Ha's ring is more than 2 billion VND.

Eleven female members of a gambling ring run by Ho Thi Hong Ha were arrested. Photo: Hong Ngoc

Authorities said: The subjects in the gambling ring using lottery and number betting have very sophisticated methods, often connecting with each other to establish a multi-level chain of agents, with high consensus on methods and tricks to deal with authorities. When operating, the subjects stay indoors, minimizing direct transactions. The houses of the ringleaders are often designed in the form of bunkers, with only one entrance and installed with surveillance cameras at many different angles. If suspicion is detected, the subjects are ready to throw or smash phones and computers to destroy evidence. More sophisticatedly, many subjects also use junk SIM cards and non-owner accounts to exchange. After each transaction, all data is deleted, so authorities face many difficulties.

Prevent online gambling

Nowadays, criminals are increasingly using new and sophisticated methods and tricks to commit crimes and conceal crimes. In particular, the phenomenon of gambling through websites, online software... with sophisticated methods and tricks, causes many difficulties for the investigation and handling of crimes by the Investigation Agency.

Evidence seized when dismantling a gambling ring using high-tech devices to record lottery numbers. Photo: Duc Vu

To prevent high-tech crimes in general and online gambling in particular, on May 19, 2021, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Directive No. 17/CT-UBND on strengthening solutions to prevent and combat high-tech crimes. In particular, it requires functional agencies to launch attacks to suppress high-tech crimes, especially criminal lines and gangs using high technology to organize large-scale inter-provincial gambling in cyberspace with foreign elements.

In the first 6 months of 2022 alone, Nghe An discovered and arrested 379 cases,2.067 gambling subjects, collecting 11.4 billion VND (compared to the same period in 2021, down 199 cases, down 690 subjects); of which, 210 cases, 1,150 defendants were prosecuted and criminally handled.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, organized gambling and gambling criminals will use cyberspace as an operating environment with many new and more sophisticated methods and tricks. Recently (June 23, 2022), the Ministry of Public Security has warned people about the methods and tricks of various types of crimes, including: (1) Organizing unsecured gambling (pay later) in the form of sports betting, lottery, online dice, such as: Bong88, Sbobet, 3in1bet...

Overseas bookies through the Internet system organize gambling for players in Vietnam. They connect with some Vietnamese people to manage, organize small networks with certain loans depending on the financial capacity of the gambler to participate in gambling, when there is an advance payment in the account, the gambler can gamble on the website created by the subject. After a period of one day or one week, the gambler must go to the "agent" to pay the winnings and losses.

Online gambling. Photo: Illustration

(2) Organizing mortgage gambling (prepayment) in many forms: Casino, sports betting, online gambling games, such as: M88, Fun88.com, 12bet... The overseas administration (bookmaker) will directly control all gambling activities of gambling accounts created by players. Gamblers, after registering for an online gambling account, must open a bank account, then transfer money to the bank account of the organizer or can use the form of recharging phone cards and follow the instructions on the gambling organization's website.

These websites install automatic software, the amount deposited into the subject's bank account will be converted into points (virtual currency for betting) and transferred to the gambler's betting account. The gambler uses these points to bet directly with the bookmaker.

In addition, the subjects also set up a network of satellite websites and anonymous networks to operate, building hundreds of different website domains with the same gambling organization interface. Building and developing a network of agents, advertising in the form of recruiting Vietnamese-speaking employees to headquarters located in major gambling centers around the world to operate; colluding and connecting with a number of domestic subjects to build and expand a network of agents to organize gambling in Vietnam.

Or use intermediary payment gateways to serve gambling activities; use virtual currency payment services directly on the website or use intermediary payment gateways to convert virtual currency into gambling money. In addition, they also advertise through websites that write gambling instructions, introduce access links to the dealer network; place banners on websites, forums, social network accounts... with many followers.

Nghe An provincial authorities seized 03 laptops, 20 mobile phones, 05 SIM cards and related documents when dismantling an illegal inter-provincial online gambling ring with a transaction amount of over 50 billion VND. Photo: Hong Ngoc

Based on the above reality, the Ministry of Public Security recommends that people should be vigilant and not participate in gambling activities and gambling in any form. Raise awareness and be vigilant against tricks, enticements, and enticements to participate in gambling activities and gambling in cyberspace.

Proactively provide timely information to authorities when detecting online gambling websites. At the same time, propagate and mobilize relatives and families to comply with legal regulations on preventing and combating gambling organization and gambling activities in cyberspace.