Received deposit for online purchase then disappeared, embezzling nearly 100 million VND

According to the initial investigation results, on July 31, the Investigation Police Agency of Bac Tra My District Police (Quang Nam) received a crime report from Ms. BBN (born in 1995, residing in Gia Lam District, Hanoi) reporting that a subject using a Facebook account named "Sang Le" (unknown background) had committed an act ofCheatappropriating 10.2 million VND by receiving a deposit to buy foreign goods but not delivering the goods, appropriating the deposit and blocking communication; initially received by the Investigation Police Agency of Phu Nhuan District Police, Ho Chi Minh City and transferred for investigation according to authority.

Immediately after receiving the case, considering the complicated nature of the case, and suspecting that there were many other victims of the subject, the Investigation Police Agency of Bac Tra My District Police assigned forces and developed a plan to focus on verifying and resolving the case.

The verification process encountered many difficulties when the Facebook account information, bank account, and phone number were not the owner's and had stopped working, and the subject blocked contact with all related cases.

With the active support and coordination of the Criminal Police Department - Ministry of Public Security, the Technical Department of Quang Nam Provincial Police, Thu Duc City Police, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Tra My District Police have synchronously implemented professional measures, deployed many working groups in many localities, verified at many bank branches to review and isolate suspicious subjects.

However, the suspect operates very sophisticatedly, constantly changing his residence, contact phone number, login device, and complex relationships with many other subjects as well as continuing to defraud many new victims.

With a sense of responsibility and determination to fight against criminals who take advantage of cyberspace to commit crimes, on September 26, the task force promptly arrested suspect Mai Manh Trung (born 2003, residing in Hai Lang district, Quang Tri) while he was hiding in Ho Chi Minh City.

Through initial investigation, the subject admitted to using a Sacombank account named "Le Hoang Ngoc Sang" from the end of May to the end of June 2023 to defraud more than 30 cases to appropriate nearly 100 million VND with the same tricks and methods of operation as Ms. N reported.