The Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs mandates that localities review records of cadres, civil servants, and public employees who have used foreign language certificates associated with an organization deceitfully claiming to be Cambridge International and involved in a scam.

The People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam announced on Thursday that it has instructed its Department of Home Affairs to oversee the implementation of the aforementioned directive, which the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on July 12 following a recommendation by the Department of Public Security in Hanoi. 

Earlier, police in Hanoi had launched legal proceedings against six individuals involved in fraudulent activities related to the issuance of English certificates by this so-called Cambridge International organization. 

The individuals prosecuted include Le Van Vang, 43, Luong Viet Anh, 37, Nguyen Van Giang, 37, Nguyen Truong Doanh, 41, Tran Trong Dai, 31, and Hoang Thi Quynh Anh, 41.

In 2021, Le Van Vang, a resident of Hanoi’s My Duc District, established Cambridge International with the intention of offering English training courses, which were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to police investigation.

Later, Vang teamed up with Luong Viet Anh, a resident of Hanoi’s Long Bien District, to orchestrate exams that allegedly issued counterfeit Cambridge English certificates.

Real Cambridge English certificates set the standard for five million English-language candidates annually across 100 countries.

These exams were promoted as part of a partnership between Cambridge International and the Institute for Cooperative Studies and Educational Development, under the Vietnam Psycho – Pedagogical Association, where Anh serves as director. 

The applicants, lacking adequate English proficiency, sought these certificates to fulfill documentation requirements for entrance exams at domestic and international institutions.

Vang personally drafted an English document titled ‘LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE’ and signed it as Max Mooney, accompanied by a red circle stamp stating ‘CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL CEFR.’ 

This document was used in advertisements and online exam sessions organized by Anh from September 2022 until the scheme was uncovered by authorities in June 2023.

Vang and his associates also created unaccredited Cambridge International certificate templates resembling those from reputable global organizations to deceive and unlawfully gain financial benefits from individuals seeking English certification.

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