Owner of billion-dollar Rolex watch 'falls into trap' of scammer
Mr. Hai received a photo of the transfer of nearly one billion VND into his account, so he handed the watch over to the recipient.
The Ho Chi Minh City Police Department's Special Criminal Police Team has just arrested Nguyen Van Cuong (Cuong "Nho", 36 years old) and Pham Tuan Duc (39 years old) - suspects of staging a scene to buy a Rolex watch using fake money transfer papers.
According to the investigation, in early June, Mr. Hai (living in District 11) advertised a Rolex watch with gold and diamonds for sale for 40,000 USD (equivalent to 920 million VND). Wanting to sell quickly, he enthusiastically responded to all interested people, including the transaction house.
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The Rolex watch was recovered by the police. Photo:Police provided |
On the night of June 7, Zalo account Manh Hung Jewellery texted to ask about the watch, expressed great interest and quickly agreed on a purchase price of 38,000 USD, paying by bank transfer to Mr. Hai.
The next day was Saturday, a man wearing a jeans shirt, driving a white car, claiming to be Manh Hung Jewellery's younger brother came to the house to pick up the watch, asking Mr. Hai to talk to the Zalo account from last night to confirm the payment. After a while of talking, Manh Hung Jewellery sent him a photo of the "money transferred" paper to the account Mr. Hai provided.
Not having received any notification message from the bank, Mr. Hai was a bit skeptical, but this person insisted that the money had been transferred "because today is the weekend so the bank is slow to transfer, the money will definitely arrive on Monday morning". Mr. Hai handed the watch to the other person.
After waiting for a long time without seeing any money in his account, Mr. Hai asked the bank about the transaction that Manh Hung Jewellery mentioned and was determined that the information in the money transfer slip that this person sent him was fake. Mr. Hai was then unable to contact the phone numbers and Zalo account of Manh Hung Jewellery.
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Cuong and Duc at the investigation agency. Photo:Police provided |
The Criminal Police Special Task Force sent many detectives to search and found out that the person who came to receive the watch was Duc and Cuong pretending to be Manh Hung Jewelry. Both admitted to forging the money transfer slip by printing in color, editing... and choosing to make the transaction on the weekend when the bank was closed.
Cuong sold the Rolex watch and gave Duc 70 million VND. The investigation agency is expanding the case, suspecting that many more people have fallen into the trap of this group.