Blackmailing with sensitive clips, seizing 1,200 surveillance cameras

The Hanoi People's Procuracy has just completed the indictment to prosecute defendant Nguyen Quoc Viet (born 1994, in Quang Tri) for the crime ofFraudulent appropriation of propertyAccording to the accusation, Gotech Company was founded by Viet and his wife Nguyen Thi Thu H., with the business of installing surveillance cameras.

The company of the Vietnamese couple is a long-term business partner of Vu Hoang Joint Stock Company. The two companies have signed many contracts for the purchase and sale of goods and paid for the goods in full and on time, without any disputes.

Around May 2023, due to losses in real estate business, needing money to pay debts and personal expenses, taking advantage of the business reputation between the two companies, Viet had the intention of defrauding and appropriating the partner's assets.

On June 19 and 21, 2023, Nguyen Quoc Viet used fraudulent tricks to gain the trust of Vu Hoang Joint Stock Company to sell him 1,200 surveillance cameras with a total value of more than 522 million VND. After receiving the goods, Viet did not pay the partner but appropriated the above surveillance cameras and sold them to two other partners for more than 454 million VND to use for personal expenses.

After Vu Hoang Joint Stock Company repeatedly demanded money, Viet transferred 100 million VND. The investigation agency also clarified that although he had no cameras to sell, Viet gave false information to Phan Van Cong and Phan Van Gioi that he had a shipment of 690 surveillance cameras at a good price.

Viet asked customers to transfer a deposit of 80% of the goods price in advance. After receiving a deposit of more than 234 million VND from the two customers, Viet appropriated the above amount and spent it all. The indictment determined that defendant Nguyen Quoc Viet had defrauded and appropriated more than 757 million VND, and had recovered 100 million VND.

At the police station, Viet confessed that due to his real estate business failing, his inability to pay his debts, and being threatened by creditors, Viet had the intention of appropriating the victims' assets. With the money he appropriated, Viet paid off debts to unknown creditors in society.

Before being prosecuted for the crime of Fraudulent appropriation of property with the above accusation, on May 21, 2024, the People's Court of Cam Le District, Da Nang City sentenced Viet to 3 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of Extortion of property and 4 years in prison for the crime of Fraudulent appropriation of property.

According to the case file, with the business line of installing surveillance cameras, the company of the Vietnamese couple is headquartered in Thanh Khe, Da Nang City.

At the end of 2022, Viet was assigned to install 6 security cameras with recorders at Ms. H's house (in Da Nang). During the installation process, Viet both set up a camera account for Ms. H and installed the camera account on his phone for management.

In September 2023, Viet borrowed money from many people and was unable to repay his debts. He had the idea of ​​logging into the camera accounts previously installed for customers to find sensitive images and clips of customers and then texting to threaten and blackmail customers.

Viet accessed the account, recorded Ms. H's sensitive clip, saved it on his phone, then called Ms. H. to inform the victim that he was holding 2 sensitive clips of her.

Nguyen Quoc Viet asked Ms. H. to transfer 130 million VND to delete the sensitive clip. Ms. H. negotiated a price reduction to 110 million VND and Viet accepted. After that, she went to the police to report the incident.

In addition, there are also victims in Da Nang and Quang Ngai who have filed a complaint against Viet for fraud, appropriating 4 Iphone 11 promax phones worth more than 45 million VND and 11 Iphone phones of various types worth more than 50 million VND and 40 million VND in cash.

T. Nhung