Beware of buying and using fake documents.

Using fake certificates to apply for jobs

Although authorities have imposed fines and issued warnings, the use of fake documents to achieve personal goals still occurs.

Recently, on October 18, 2024, the Standing Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, Le Hong Vinh, signed Decisions to impose administrative sanctions on Mr. NVĐ (born in 1981) residing in Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen district; NCT (born in 1994) residing in Hamlet 1, Xuan Lam commune, Nam Dan district for using fake security guard certificates.

Accordingly, each person was fined VND 30 million according to the provisions of Point e, Clause 5, Article 12 of Decree No. 144/2021/ND-CP dated December 31, 2021 of the Government on administrative sanctions in the field of security, order and social safety; prevention and control of social evils; fire prevention and fighting; rescue; prevention and control of domestic violence and Clause 4, Article 23 of the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations 2012 (amended in 2020).

Additional penalties include confiscation of administrative violation evidence (including fake security guard certificates in the names of NVĐ and NCT currently being held by the Investigation Police Agency of Hung Nguyen District Police); as prescribed in Point d, Clause 6, Article 12 of Decree No. 144/2021/ND-CP dated December 31, 2021 of the Government.

The company that hired Mr. NVĐ and Mr. NCT was also fined 15 million VND for using security service personnel who were not granted a Security Professional Certificate.

According to the authorities, currently, people who counterfeit documents use modern machinery and technology, so the fake "products" are made very sophisticatedly, from the seal, embossed seal to the watermark on the paper, all very similar to real seals.

The types of fake documents are increasingly diverse, such as citizen identification cards, health certificates, driver's licenses, diplomas, certificates, even land use right certificates, notarized documents, and government documents...

Using fake documents to commit fraud

Many people have used fake documents to defraud and appropriate property, especially in the land sector.

Typically, on September 10, 2024, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance trial and sentenced defendant Le Thanh Hung (born 1991), residing in Dien Ky commune, Dien Chau district, to 16 years in prison for the crime of "Fraudulent appropriation of property" and 6 years in prison for the crime of "Forgery of documents of agencies and organizations; Using fake seals and documents of agencies and organizations".

According to the investigation results, Le Thanh Hung claimed to be able to handle "full package" land procedures such as: Preparing documents for converting land use purposes, changing information on land use right certificates, preparing documents for land division and granting land use right certificates.

To gain the victims' trust, after receiving the money, Hung forged a receipt for the land use rights registration file, used a fake seal from the competent authority to stamp it and gave it to the victims. In addition, he went on social networks to order fake land use rights certificates and gave them to the victims.

By the above tricks, Hung defrauded and appropriated the property of 6 victims with a total amount of more than 2.7 billion VND.

Previously, Dien Chau District Police also broke up a case, arrested a "fake female journalist" named Nguyen Thi Van Anh (born in 1976, residing in the commune) for "Fraudulent appropriation of property"; confiscated 53 red books and 2 mobile phones.

Accordingly, Van Anh impersonated a reporter for a major newspaper, providing false information about his acquaintance with many officials who were leaders in the Central Government and Nghe An province to receive procedures to illegally convert agricultural land into long-term residential land for 5 victims, residing in Dien Chau district and several other localities; in which, the victims transferred more than 9 billion VND to the subject.

It is worth mentioning that the victims used fake red books made by Nguyen Thi Van Anh to illegally build on agricultural land and deal with local authorities, causing many complicated consequences.

In addition to land, there have been a number of cases of using fake documents to defraud property related to cars recently. A typical case is the case of Tran Thi Lan Anh (born in 1994), residing in Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu district - manager of a used car buying and renting shop in Quynh Luu district, in the process of receiving documents for selling and renting cars from customers, she fraudulently forged the car registration of 260 sets of documents to defraud this shop of more than 3 billion VND.

In early 2024, the Investigation Police Agency of Quynh Luu District Police issued a decision to prosecute the case and prosecute Tran Thi Lan Anh for the crimes of "Abuse of trust to appropriate property" and "Forgery of seals and documents of agencies and organizations".

Previously, Quynh Luu District Police had dismantled a car rental ring, forged documents to mortgage and appropriate property. The subjects operated in many areas in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa provinces...

The leaders of the above line are Dau Duc Bang (born 1991), residing in Quynh Van commune, Quynh Luu district and Nguyen Ngoc Tinh (born 1991), residing in Quynh Xuan ward, Hoang Mai town.

To gain the trust of the victims, the subjects pretended to be successful young businessmen, specializing in large projects. At the same time, they searched online for companies and stores specializing in self-drive car rental in many provinces and cities to rent cars.

After renting it, they brought it to Nghe An and forged documents such as vehicle purchase and sale papers, vehicle transfer papers, and vehicle purchase and sale authorization papers, then sold it to Ho Trong Tam (born in 1989), residing in Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district, to divide the money.

Producing fake documents for profit

Currently, grasping the needs and taking advantage of 4.0 technology, subjects often openly advertise and offer fake document making services using many sophisticated tricks on social networks.

People who hire fake documents only need to contact via Zalo or Facebook messages to get fake documents that are identical to real documents, difficult to detect with the naked eye.

In some cases, due to the laxity of agencies and organizations in managing seals, papers and documents, a large number of documents are forged and leaked out (real signatures and seals but fake content).

When obtaining these fake documents, the subjects used them for various illegal purposes such as: Through civil transactions, other transactions related to credit institutions, notary offices (mainly land-related transactions) and even State agencies to defraud and appropriate property or to carry out other illegal benefits.

The use of fake seals, documents, and papers causes great damage. Many people have lost money because they believed in fake vehicle registration papers, land use right certificates, and labor recruitment contracts...

Therefore, the authorities have deployed many solutions to combat this type of crime. Typically, in 2023, the Criminal Police Department (Nghe An Police) arrested 3 subjects residing in Vinh city for the act of forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations, including: Thai Thanh Minh (born in 1963); Ho Van Hoa (born in 1970) and Nguyen Hong Linh (born in 1970).

The police determined that Minh had purchased a computer and a color printer, then downloaded documents, certificates, and seals of agencies and organizations and used graphic design software to edit and print in color according to the requirements of those who needed to order fakes. To avoid detection, Minh did not directly accept fake seals and documents from those who needed them, but went through intermediaries, "henchmen" Hoa and Linh.

All communications and transactions with Minh were made via social networks Zalo, Facebook... with contact information anonymized. The police seized evidence including 1 computer, 2 printers, 36 7-color stamps engraved with the logo of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and many fake documents and degrees such as University Diploma, Culinary Diploma, inspection stamps, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate...

Raise awareness

According to the authorities, one of the reasons for the crime of forging documents to have a "place to live" is because some people, in order to legalize procedures and degrees, despite knowing that it is illegal, still deliberately buy fake degrees and certificates. Any act of forging seals, documents or using fake papers violates the law.

Article 341 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017) stipulates that anyone who forges seals, documents or other papers of agencies or organizations or uses fake seals, documents or papers to commit illegal acts may be fined from 30 to 100 million VND or may be imprisoned for up to 7 years. In addition to criminal law handling, violators may also be subject to administrative sanctions according to other regulations such as: Decree 138/2013/ND-CP, Decree 167/2013/ND-CP, Decree 144/2021/ND-CP...

Therefore, the authorities recommend that people should raise their awareness and not buy or use fake documents and certificates. On the other hand, they should be vigilant in transactions involving documents and papers to avoid becoming "prey" of those who use fake documents to defraud and appropriate property.

When making transactions, people need to verify information and the authenticity of related documents at competent authorities.

Gia Huy