Three years ago, I lent a close friend 500 million VND to help with her business. Out of trust, we did not draw up a loan agreement or contract.

My friend sent a Zalo message acknowledging the receipt: "Thank you, I have received the full 500 million, and will repay it by the end of the year". I transferred this exact amount to her account and still retain the bank statement.

Despite numerous unfulfilled promises to repay the loan, she now denies the debt. She claims the transferred money was "capital contribution for a business venture that resulted in losses". Although some previous Zalo messages were deleted, I still possess screenshots of certain chat excerpts and a partial backup of the conversation history.

Given that I only have bank transfer statements and these Zalo messages, do I have a chance to recover the money if I file a lawsuit? How will the court evaluate these messages, and what steps should I take to protect my rights?

Ngoc Duy