Police in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang have shed light on several schemes employed by thieves at local hotels.

Ten robberies have been reported so far in 2016 at hotels across the central tourist hub, according to the municipal police department.

In the most recent incident, officers received a report from 43-year-old Pham Manh Ha, stating that about VND300 million (US$13,452) in assets had been stolen from his hotel room.

Ha, a Hanoian visiting Da Nang with his family, was staying in room 706 at the Golden Sea 3 Hotel in Son Tra District, Da Nang last week.

On September 3, he gave his room key to the receptionist before heading to the beach for a swim.  An hour later Ha and his family returned to their room to find their belongings missing.

According to hotel staffers’ statements and security camera footage, a man dressed in swimwear impersonated Ha, asking for the key to Ha’s room about 30 minutes after the guest had left.

Failing to notice a difference, the receptionists gave the imposter access to room 706, allowing him to loot Ha’s valuables before exiting the hotel in a T-shirt and shorts.

Ha claimed a Vertu phone worth VND280 million ($12,555), a watch, and VND10 million ($448.4) in cash had been taken from the room, adding that the thief did not take his two iPhone 6S’s.

Phan Manh Ha speaks to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The victim also recognized the culprit, asserting that he approached his family at the beach on September 1.

The suspect said he was also staying at the Golden Sea 3 and later found out Ha’s room number, the visitor recounted.

During an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Le Hoang Long, director of Le Hoang Anh Company which manages the hotel, stated that guests should keep their valuable items inside their room’s safe or leave them to the receptionists.

“We have to wait for the result of the police investigation before compensating for the lost items,” Long said.

According to a local police official, the receptionists’ should have given the imposter a thorough identification check before providing Ha’s room key.

A criminal employing similar methods also succeeded in stealing VND40 million ($1,793) from a group of travelers at the V Hotel on Ngu Hanh Son District.

Criminals seek out unsuspecting tourists and take advantage of times when tourists leave their belongings in their rooms while swimming at the beach, an official from the municipal Department of Police stated, adding that managers of local hostels have been warned of such plot.

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