In August 2022, Thanh opened the "SGM International Immigration Law Office" on An Nhon 3 Street, Son Tra District (formerly), Da Nang, offering consultation services for emigration, settlement, and study abroad programs in the US, Canada, and Australia.
To attract clients, the 31-year-old office manager spent hundreds of millions of VND on Facebook ads using the account "Mr Thanh Lawyer." He advertised fees ranging from 18,000 to 25,000 USD per person, guaranteeing emigration within 18 months. He also created a false identity using forged documents, such as a citizen identification card and a driving instructor's license, which led many people to trust him.
In October 2022, Mr. Thang, 51, from Nghe An, contacted Thanh to arrange immigration to Canada. Despite being cautious, he was deceived by the fake documents. He and his wife traveled to Da Nang to sign a labor and immigration service contract. Trusting Thanh, he also signed up his daughter, brother, and two nephews. The six family members made multiple payments, totaling over 2 billion VND.
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Defendant Thanh in court. Photo: Ngoc Hoa |
Defendant Thanh in court. Photo: Ngoc Hoa
Similarly, Ms. Hoa from Dong Nai fell victim to the scam three times, losing over 2 billion VND. Believing Thanh's claim of being an "immigration lawyer," she signed a contract at the SGM office, initially paying 279 million VND and later registering her husband and two children.
The list of victims grew, spanning across Lam Dong, Ha Tinh, and other provinces. Some even underwent medical examinations to prepare their applications but were later cut off from contact. A woman in Lam Dong transferred over 900 million VND and received only empty promises when she tried to get her money back. In April 2023, she reported the incident to the police.
On 31/10/2023, Thanh was arrested. Nearly two years later, in mid-August 2025, during his trial at the Da Nang People's Court for fraud and forgery of official documents, many victims traveled hundreds of kilometers to attend, demanding refunds and urging for strict penalties.
According to the indictment, Thanh perpetrated 20 cases of fraud, misappropriating over 14.4 billion VND. He invested more than 12.3 billion VND in cryptocurrency platforms and used the remaining funds to purchase luxury items like a Vertu phone, designer watches, and to pay for Facebook ads.
In court, Thanh admitted to setting up a fake office and using counterfeit documents and contracts to defraud victims. He claimed to have hired only one female consultant who was unaware of the fraudulent nature of the business.
While the defendant denied forging documents with intent to deceive, the judging panel affirmed that evidence clearly demonstrated his use of fake documents to gain the victims' trust.
The court determined that the calculated and repeated nature of his crimes against numerous individuals, resulting in particularly serious consequences, warranted a severe penalty.
After a three-day trial, the court sentenced Thanh to life imprisonment for fraud and four years for forgery. Previously, in TP HCM, Thanh had received a 13-year sentence for a similar scam involving nearly 5 billion VND. His combined sentence is life imprisonment.
Ngoc Truong
* Victims' names have been changed
