Police in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, recently detained and prosecuted 39 Vietnamese individuals for their involvement in a sophisticated fraud ring led by Chinese nationals, which is accused of appropriating nearly VND1 trillion (nearly US$40 million) from around 13,000 victims across Vietnam.

The People’s Procuracy of Bac Ninh Province has approved charges against the 39 suspects and is collaborating with police to expand the investigation into this large-scale operation.

According to authorities, the fraud ring was established between late 2023 and early 2024 by unidentified Chinese nationals in Bavet City, Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia.

The organization targeted Vietnamese citizens by impersonating ward and district police officers and tricking victims into sharing personal information.

Fraudsters contacted victims, claiming they needed to update their personal identification information online.

Victims were instructed to install malware-infected applications on Android smartphones, allowing the scammers to gain control of their devices and access their bank accounts to steal money.

The fraud ring operated given task allocation for three teams.

Team 1 used desktop computers and call-making devices to contact potential victims.

They impersonated Vietnamese police officers and notified victims of supposed procedures related to their personal identification numbers, citizen identification cards, and other administrative matters.

Pham Thi Huyen Trang, one of the 39 suspects arrested from the Chinese-led fraud ring, is seen in police custody in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Bac Ninh Police

Each day, Team 1 received data files containing details of 80-100 individuals.

Team 2 was trained to pose as Vietnamese district-level administrative officers. This team instructed victims to carry out fake procedures using an online public service application.

After building trust, they instructed victims to access fraudulent websites and download an app called dich vu cong (public services).

Once victims entered their information, the fraudsters gained control of their phones. Teams 2 and 3 then worked together to withdraw money from the victims' bank accounts.

Team 3 handled stolen funds, transferring the money to laundering contacts in Cambodia. The amounts were then converted into cryptocurrency, with money launderers earning a 7-percent commission.

The fraud ring gave its members an average monthly salary of $600 plus commissions.

Teams 1 and 2 received 2.5 percent of the total stolen funds, while Team 3 earned a 1-percent commission.

Members also received additional perks, including a $100 birthday bonus.

New recruits were given identification numbers and SIM cards for creating Telegram accounts. Real names were prohibited, with employees using nicknames and pre-assigned codes.

Multiple Telegram groups were established to distribute tasks, share updates, and communicate directives from the management.

Among the 39 suspects, three individuals – Pham Thi Huyen Trang, Dinh Nhu Quynh, and Do Van Nghia – were identified as senior managers and translators for the Chinese leaders of the ring.

These managers were responsible for distributing victim information to Team 1, overseen by Nguyen Van Manh and Nguyen Duc Toan.

Trang's testimony revealed that fraud scenarios were meticulously planned with the ring leaders before being executed on targeted victims.

The Bac Ninh police department is expanding its investigation into the fraud ring’s operations.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!