Dismantling a network providing cheating equipment before the National High School Exam

On the afternoon of June 26, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of Lam Dong Provincial Police coordinated with the Department of Cyber ​​Security, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of the Ministry of Public Security, Market Management Team No. 11, and the Hanoi Market Management Department to destroy two large-scale cheating device trading rings nationwide right before the National High School Exam, seizing many exhibits.

Previously, at the end of May 2023, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of Lam Dong Provincial Police discovered two groups of subjects using cyberspace to sell devices supporting exam cheating related to the locality.

On June 23, the unit coordinated with Duc Trong District Police to summon HNH (born in 1992, residing in Lien Nghia town, Duc Trong district) to clarify the act of creating and using a "fake" Facebook account named "NB" to post many articles advertising "selling and renting microscopic devices for cheating on exams".

Working with the police, the subject confessed that seeing that many people wanted to buy super small devices to cheat on exams and that buying and selling these devices could generate quick profits, he copied images and articles from Fanpages selling cheating devices in other places (mainly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City), and used fake accounts to post advertisements. When customers contacted to buy, the subject would buy the devices back from the above Fanpages and resell them at a higher price to make a profit.

HNH bought a set of equipment but before it could be sold to customers, it was discovered and confiscated by authorities.

In particular, on June 26, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of Lam Dong Provincial Police coordinated with Da Lat City Police to summon LKP (born in 2000, residing in Ward 10, Da Lat City) and CTTh.L (born in 2000, residing in Ward 9, Da Lat City) to clarify signs of ordering and renting cheating devices via social networks. Through investigation, the two cases above said that they rented cheating devices from a Fanpage called "Small Headphone Rental" managed by a group of people "N.D.G" in Hanoi.

Lam Dong Provincial Police have reported and requested the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate and support in participating in the crackdown.

On the afternoon of June 26, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Lam Dong Provincial Police coordinated with the Department of Cyber ​​Security, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Ministry of Public Security and Market Management Team No. 11, Hanoi Market Management Department to conduct an administrative inspection and discovered that N.D.G (born in 1990, temporarily residing in Kien Hung Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi) was buying and selling high-tech equipment for exam cheating.

The seized exhibits included 10 sets of super-small headphones, 10 Nokia phones connected with wires with a small microphone attached, 10 super-small magnetic earpieces, about 2mm in size, and hundreds of electronic components to assemble into recording and video recording devices for cheating in exams.

N.D.G confessed that when using it, the user inserts a tiny earpiece into the ear, and the phone with a SIM card and microphone is hidden in the clothes to communicate outside the exam room. The tiny button-shaped camera device automatically records and takes pictures to send the exam questions outside, the outside group will receive the video and pictures of the exam questions via the software. After solving the questions, the answers will be read inside through the tiny headphones.

The subject also confessed that since 2018, due to understanding that many students and workers had a need to buy and use secret recording and video recording devices to serve exams, N.D.G contacted and ordered from abroad via the internet to buy, install, and trade in the above types of super small camouflaged devices.

Up to now, this subject has sold hundreds of sets of equipment at prices ranging from 1 to 6 million VND/device.

Notably, the authorities also discovered that N.D.G. had organized a cheating ring, "guaranteed passing" in foreign language certification exams for many people across the country for many years by renting out cheating equipment to candidates. After candidates entered the exam room, a tiny button-shaped camera secretly took photos and videos and sent the exam questions to the outside. The group would find a way to solve the questions and read them into the exam room through tiny bean-shaped headphones for candidates. Prices ranged from 5-14 million VND for each type of certificate.

Currently, the police are struggling to clarify the behavior of the subjects to handle them according to the provisions of the law.