Create a website, post defamatory articles, blackmail celebrities

The Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Province Police said that under the direct direction of the Provincial Police leaders, the Head of the Investigation Police Agency, the Investigation Police Agency of Nghe An Province Police has just prosecuted the case and prosecuted the accused Vu Van Duc (born 2000), residing in Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, for the crime of "Extortion of property".

Subject Vu Van Duc. Photo: Hong Ngoc

Accordingly, implementing the direction of the Provincial Police Department's leaders on strengthening the fight against subjects who take advantage of cyberspace to appropriate property, recently through the work of grasping the situation, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police discovered that on social networking sites such as Zalo and Facebook, there are a number of subjects who have created antifan groups and fanpages with a large number of followers, specializing in posting private information, thereby defaming the reputation, insulting the honor and dignity of actors, singers, and famous people on social networks in order to threaten and extort property.

This is a new type of crime, very sophisticated and cunning in its activities. The criminals do not live in a fixed location and all have in-depth knowledge of internet systems. In addition, the victims are all actors, singers, and famous people who are afraid of their image being affected, so they do not report it, making the investigation and fight of the police agency very difficult.

After reporting and asking for direction from the Provincial Police Department, the Provincial Police Criminal Police Department verified, investigated and built a portrait of the subjects behind some of these antifan groups.

After collecting sufficient evidence, on September 16, 2022, under the direct direction of the Provincial Police Department, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police divided into 02 Working Groups to arrest and urgently search the residence of Vu Van Duc in Khai Quang Ward, Vinh Yen City (Vinh Phuc Province) and Duc's residence in Ha Hoa District, Phu Tho Province. Duc is the subject behind a number of anti-fan groups and fanpages with false content posted to threaten and appropriate the property of a number of actors, singers, and famous people on social networks.

During the search, the police seized 02 mobile phones, 01 bank card, 01 laptop.

At the investigation agency, Vu Van Duc admitted that since February 2022, due to the need for money to spend and taking advantage of his knowledge of the internet system, Vu Van Duc created many fake Facebooks and became the administrator of Antifan groups and Fanpages with a large number of followers, then posted articles fabricating information to defame the reputation, insult the honor and dignity of actors, singers, and famous people, thereby extorting property. The investigation agency also proved that, with the above tricks, Duc had extorted property from a famous person 3 times with a total amount of 128 million VND.

Currently, the case is under investigation and clarification.

The Investigation Police Agency of Nghe An Province Police also announced that anyone who is a victim of Vu Van Duc is requested to go to the nearest police agency to report, or contact the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Province Police for coordination and resolution./.