Hanoi Police recently announced that the Investigation Police Agency has prosecuted and temporarily detained Pham Thi Mai, 52, and Phan Thuy Linh, 43, both residing in Thien Loc commune, to investigate the crime of "fraudulent appropriation of property" under clause 4, Article 174 of the Penal Code.

According to police, from October 2025 to July 2026, Mai made false claims about a "guaranteed purchase" and a "100% success rate" for social and commercial housing units at the CT3 Kim Chung project in Thien Loc commune.

Mai received deposits from customers, while Linh connected with businesses to make deposits for purchasing units to resell.

However, police determined that neither Mai nor Linh had any relationship with, nor had they placed deposits with, the CT3 Kim Chung project developer. They appropriated all the money received as deposits from customers for personal use.

During searches at Linh's and Mai's residences, police seized numerous documents related to the case. Police have not yet disclosed the total amount of money or the number of victims defrauded.

Pham Thi Mai (left) and Phan Thuy Linh at the time of their arrest. Photo: Police provided.

The CT3 Kim Chung building is developed by a joint venture of Hanoi Housing Investment and Development Corporation and Viglacera Corporation - JSC. The project includes 1,104 units, comprising 175 commercial units, 717 social housing units for sale, and 212 social housing units for rent. The developer began accepting social housing applications in October 2025, with prices set at 18,4 million VND per square meter for units for sale and 95,000 VND per square meter per month for rental units.

Through this case, Hanoi Police advise citizens to be cautious and thoroughly research legal information from developers or official agencies when conducting real estate transactions. People should be wary of falling victim to fraudsters promising "guaranteed success" or "diplomatic quotas".