Fraudulently selling cheap airline tickets to steal money.
When customers want to buy tickets, the perpetrators require them to transfer money to their account before issuing the tickets. After the customers transfer the money, the perpetrators block all communication and embezzle the money intended for the ticket purchase.
On June 21st, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of the Quang Binh Provincial Police announced that a joint force comprising units from the Bo Trach District Police, the Nam Dinh City Police (Nam Dinh province), and several specialized units of the Quang Binh Provincial Police had successfully dismantled a fraud ring that defrauded people by selling airline tickets online.
Previously, through intelligence gathering, personal accounts, groups, and social media platforms emerged that were posting advertisements offering unusually cheap airline tickets to Vietnamese people residing abroad (such as Canada, Germany, etc.).
When customers want to buy tickets, the perpetrators require them to transfer money to their account before issuing the tickets. After the customers transfer the money, the perpetrators block all communication and embezzle the money intended for the ticket purchase.
On June 19th, Colonel Nguyen Huu Hop, Director of the Quang Binh Provincial Police, directed the investigation. Colonel Le Van Hoa, Deputy Director and Head of the Security Investigation Agency of the Quang Binh Provincial Police, and Head of the Special Investigation Team, directly supervised the forces in summoning and interrogating Tran Van Tinh (born in 1985, residing in Nang Tinh Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province).
Initial investigations revealed that, taking advantage of Vietnamese people abroad who wanted to return home, Tran Van Tinh purchased bank accounts not registered in their names online, then posted advertisements selling airline tickets on his personal Facebook account or used his personal Facebook account to post advertisements selling airline tickets on pages and groups related to finding cheap airline tickets for Vietnamese people residing abroad, with the aim of fraudulently selling cheap tickets through these unregistered bank accounts to embezzle money.
Initial investigations indicate that Tran Van Tinh used a new method to defraud eight victims in various locations nationwide, totaling over 203 million VND. Among the victims was Ms. LTHO, residing in Nhan Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, who was defrauded of 43.2 million VND.
The Investigation Police Department of Bo Trach District Police issued an emergency detention order and an emergency arrest warrant against Tran Van Tinh for the crime of fraud and appropriation of property. Simultaneously, they seized 24.7 million VND, one savings passbook worth 100 million VND, two mobile phones, two ATM cards, 52 SIM cards, and some related documents.
The case is currently being further investigated and handled by the professional forces of the Quang Binh Provincial Police.
