Prosecution of online fraudster selling goods for nearly 500 million VND

Around June 2023, through the work of grasping the situation, Nam Dan District Police discovered a number of subjects using social network accounts such as Facebook, Zalo, Webchat to defraud the assets of "gullible, trusting" people under the form of selling Chinese goods.

The subject's modus operandi was to create many fake Facebook, Zalo and Webchat accounts, impersonating businesses transporting goods from China to Vietnam, inviting victims to buy Chinese goods. Then, he asked the victims to deposit money and then appropriated it. After receiving the victim's deposit, the subject blocked communication and appropriated the money, causing public outrage. Faced with the above situation, Nam Dan District Police established a special project to combat and destroy it.

After a period of synchronous use of professional measures, Nam Dan District Police identified the perpetrator as Mr. Manh Linh (born in 1999), residing in Hamlet 3, Nam Linh Commune, Nam Dan District. However, Mr. Manh Linh was not present in the locality, frequently changing his residence from one province to another, causing difficulties for the Task Force in the fight and arrest.

With the spirit of resolutely fighting crime to the end, the Task Force continued to verify and determined that Mr. Manh Linh was hiding in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, so they decided to solve the case. At about 8:00 a.m. on June 29, 2023, Nam Dan District Police successfully solved the case, arrested Mr. Manh Linh, seized 2 ATM cards, 1 mobile phone and many other related evidences.

The police initially determined that: Between October 2022 and June 2023, Mr. Manh Linh created many social media accounts such as Facebook, Zalo, and Webchat impersonating companies transporting goods from China to Vietnam and then searched for people who needed to buy Chinese goods on social networks to commit fraud.

After finding someone to buy the goods, Mr. Manh Linh logged into social networking sites specializing in selling Chinese goods such as: Tabao, 1688, took product photos and prices, and sent them to the victims for reference.

After agreeing on the price, Mr. Manh Linh asked the victims to transfer a deposit of 30% to 50% of the value of the shipment to the bank accounts provided by Linh and then appropriated it. Using this method, Mr. Manh Linh defrauded and appropriated 470 million VND from many victims in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

The case is currently being further investigated by Nam Dan District Police.