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 more than 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, while 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 until 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 up to tens of billions of VND and especially with 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 transaction amounts 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 courtesy

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 job of dealing with gamblers, collecting and keeping records, profit sharing ratios...

Similarly, on April 18, Vinh City Police arrested 12 subjects in a gambling ring led by Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (born 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, arresting 15 subjects in a lottery gambling ring led by Ho Thi Hong Ha (born 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 and betting methods and participate in online lottery and betting. Every day, the average amount of money transacted through Ha's ring is more than 2 billion VND.

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

Authorities said: The subjects in the lottery gambling ring 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 the 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 the authorities face many difficulties.

Prevent online gambling

Nowadays, criminals have increasingly new and extremely sophisticated methods and tricks of operation, using high technology 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 networks 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,2067 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 predicted 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 (prepaid) in many forms: Casino, sports betting, online games with gambling nature, 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 of money deposited into the bank account of the subject will be converted into points (virtual currency for betting) and transferred to the betting account of the gambler. 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 interface to organize gambling. 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 from virtual currency to gambling money. In addition, they also advertise through websites that write gambling instructions, introduce access links to the agent network; place banners on websites, forums, social network accounts... with many followers.

Nghe An province 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 the authorities when detecting online gambling websites. At the same time, propagate and mobilize relatives and families to comply with the provisions of the law on preventing and combating gambling organization and gambling activities in cyberspace.