The group of suspects installed information-stealing devices at ATMs.

On March 7, Can Tho City Police temporarily detained Tran The Bao (26 years old, from Ben Tre), Nguyen Kim Soan (21 years old, from Bac Lieu) and three men of Malaysian and Singaporean nationality to clarify the act of installing devices to steal account holder information at ATMs, making fake cards to withdraw billions of dong from nearly 100 people.

Two nights ago, after a period of surveillance, the police caught Bao and Soan installing devices to read account holder information at ATMs at a bank transaction office in Ninh Kieu district. The seized evidence was an ATM card information reader, a motorbike, nearly 20 million VND and three ATM cards.

Working with the police, both confessed that in early January, they met Chong Ngai Fong (45 years old, Malaysian nationality) and several other foreigners through social networks.

Fong organized and instructed Soan and Bao on how to install card skimming devices at ATMs. Then, this foreign man used the device to copy the information of customers who came to withdraw money onto fake cards, then gave it to Bao to withdraw money and share it.

Using this trick, over the past two months, this group has withdrawn money using fake ATM cards, appropriating nearly 1.6 billion VND from people in the West.Of which, Ben Tre province has 38 victims who were robbed of nearly one billion VND; Vinh Long has 32 people who lost nearly 530 million VND; Can Tho has 6 people who were robbed of about 70 million VND.

Based on the statements of Bao and Soan, yesterday, the police arrested Chong Ngai Fong and David Tee Cheng Meng (both Malaysian nationals) and Chua Yu Thiam (Singaporean national) while they were hiding in Can Tho.

Can Tho City Police are coordinating with other provinces to expand the investigation of the case.