High-tech scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to identify.
Currently, the activities of high-tech criminals are no longer limited to a specific geographical area but are mobile, inter-provincial, and transnational; with sophisticated, diverse, and difficult-to-identify methods, significantly impacting security and public order.
Deceiveinterprovincial, transnational islands
In Nghe An, recognizing the complex nature of high-tech crime, the police force has focused on combating, dismantling, and severely punishing criminal gangs and networks not only within the province but also expanding to other provinces and cities nationwide, and even abroad, in order to deter and prevent such crimes in general.
Typically, on the very first day of implementing the plan to launch a high-intensity campaign to combat crime and ensure security and order before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, the Nghe An Provincial Police, in coordination with the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, the Professional Department of the Ministry of Public Security, the Hanoi City Police, and the police of Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh, and Bac Giang provinces, successfully dismantled a criminal ring involved in the crimes of "illegally collecting, storing, exchanging, buying, selling, and publicly disclosing information about bank accounts; fraud and money laundering" occurring in Nghe An province and other provinces and cities nationwide. Initially, the police summoned and arrested 41 suspects.
This is a criminal gang with completely new characteristics and methods, organized and with specific roles assigned to its members, led by Vu Trung Kien, residing in Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province; Pham Hoang Hiep, residing in Thai Hoa town, Nghe An province; Vu Hoang Nha and Hoang Xuan Truong, both residing in Yen Khanh district, Ninh Binh province.
To facilitate their online fraud activities, the perpetrators targeted various segments of society, professions, and age groups, particularly the elderly, low-income workers, those lacking legal knowledge, and students, offering to open bank accounts for a fee ranging from 500,000 to 4,000,000 VND per account.
After successfully opening a bank account, the account holder must hand over account information, phone SIM card, email address, record a video of their face, and comply with other requests from the perpetrators.
Personal information and videos of account holders will be used by these individuals to hack bank accounts using biometric data, then transferred to individuals in Cambodia, in order to receive fraudulent funds and launder money obtained from criminal activities.
Kien, Hiep, Nha, and Truong assigned the acquisition of bank accounts to provide to individuals across the border to first-level agents, who then established a network of lower-level agents in many provinces and cities nationwide.
The police have clarified that, in a short period of time, the perpetrators rented or purchased more than 500 accounts at various banks (including both personal and business accounts) for the purpose of fraud and money laundering.
Initially, authorities determined that the group had laundered money and defrauded numerous victims nationwide of over 50 billion VND. In Nghe An province alone, one victim was defrauded of up to 700 million VND.
Similarly, in October 2024, the Criminal Police Department of the Provincial Police and the Con Cuong District Police jointly coordinated with relevant units and localities to dismantle a transnational fraud ring that defrauded people of their assets, masterminded by foreign nationals through romantic scams and enticement into cryptocurrency investments.
The police have determined that in the "Golden Triangle" special economic zone in Bokeo province (Laos), there is a criminal group led by foreign nationals, operating under the guise of a company, specializing in recruiting Lao and Vietnamese individuals (including some residing in Con Cuong and Tuong Duong districts) to commit fraud and embezzle property from Vietnamese citizens within the country.
Accordingly, the members of this group were trained to use "scam scripts" targeting Vietnamese victims. During the investigation, authorities identified Vi Van Linh, Kha Van Uc, and Vi Thi Le, all residing in Con Cuong district; and Loc Van Tao and Luong Van Hien, both residing in Tuong Duong district, as individuals involved in the aforementioned scam ring.
Previously, the Criminal Police Department (Provincial Police) also spearheaded the operation, coordinating with relevant units to arrest two Vietnamese nationals residing abroad who used high-tech methods and impersonated judicial officials to defraud Vietnamese citizens in many localities across the country, amounting to over 500 billion VND. The two ringleaders were Phan Văn Phương (born in 1991), residing in Kim Thành commune, Yên Thành district, and Tăng Quảng Vinh (born in 1989), residing in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, who worked in Cambodia.
Authorities have identified 10 common methods used by high-tech fraudsters, including: Receiving gifts from foreign friends met online; Impersonating official agencies (police officers, prosecutors, judges, etc.) to call and announce investigations; Hacking Facebook, Zalo, etc., to send messages asking for money; Announcing prize winnings of money or valuable assets; Sending fake links to steal bank information; Transferring money to the wrong bank account; Soliciting financial or cryptocurrency investments; Offering assistance in recovering money lost to scams; Offering visa-free labor export or tourism...
Improve the effectiveness of prevention and control.n
In the context of increasingly sophisticated online fraud and property theft, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has directed the vigorous implementation of measures to prevent and combat this type of crime.
Following the issuance of Directive No. 17/CT-UBND dated May 19, 2021; Document No. 7120/UBND-NC dated August 24, 2023 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province… on strengthening solutions to prevent and combat high-tech crimes; and implementing the campaign “action to raise awareness about identifying and preventing online fraud”, on October 31, 2024, the People's Committee of Nghe An province continued to issue Document No. 9621/UBND-NC on strengthening solutions to prevent, deter, and handle “fraudulent appropriation of property” activities.
In this regard, the Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Police to strengthen the management of mobile criminal elements, individuals with previous convictions, drug addicts, and delinquent youth... in order to limit their participation in or assistance to fraudsters in property theft.(Opening bank accounts to collect and resell personal information to fraudsters, or traveling abroad to operate within criminal fraud rings in special zones in Cambodia, Laos, etc.). Managing, preventing, and strictly handling activities involving the illegal collection, use, dissemination, and trading of other people's personal information.
The People's Committee of Nghe An province also requested the Department of Information and Communications to strengthen state management in the field of telecommunications and information security, promptly detect, prevent, and remove illegal advertising articles, content, images, websites, links, and applications related to "fraudulent appropriation of property" activities.
The State Bank of Vietnam's Nghe An Provincial Branch has directed the rectification of loopholes and shortcomings in lending, payment, money transfer, and receiving activities, ensuring that no accounts without proper ownership or with inaccurate information remain. It is also intensifying control over transactions related to virtual currencies that violate the law.
On December 26, 2024, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued urgent document No. 11614/UBND-NC, requesting provincial departments, agencies, and the People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns to thoroughly understand and seriously implement Prime Minister's Directive No. 139/CĐ-TTg on strengthening the prevention and handling of high-tech fraud and property appropriation activities in cyberspace.
In 2024, the Provincial People's Council also implemented a thematic supervision program on "Prevention and control of crimes related to 'loan sharking' and crimes using high technology to defraud and appropriate property."
Therefore, it is requested that the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and agencies continue to direct functional forces to strengthen propaganda work and raise awareness and vigilance regarding the activities of online fraud criminals among officials and the people; especially focusing on high-risk groups.
In addition, the Provincial People's Council also requested relevant departments to consider and make necessary recommendations to improve legal regulations in order to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of state management related to preventing and handling fraudulent activities and property appropriation.
However, given the current reality that some people still have greedy mindsets and weak information security skills, while the tactics of online scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, many people still fall into their traps.
Authorities advise citizens to limit sharing personal information and data online to avoid being exploited by individuals for illegal activities; absolutely do not buy, sell, exchange, give away, lend, or rent payment accounts, bank cards, or personal documents; do not provide personal information, phone numbers, home addresses, bank accounts, OTP codes on personal phones, or images of citizen identification cards... to anyone you do not know or whose identity and background are unknown.
Furthermore, people need to be aware that the police, prosecutor's office, and courts do not conduct business via telephone or social media applications. When receiving such suspicious communications, people should calmly contact relatives and friends for discussion and advice, and then contact the relevant authorities for verification.