On the afternoon of 6/8, 26-year-old Nguyen Thanh Phuc was handed over by Hoa Khanh Ward Police to Da Nang City Police for investigation into property fraud.

Suspect Nguyen Thanh Phuc at the police station. Photo: Police provided

Suspect Nguyen Thanh Phuc at the police station. Photo: Police provided

According to the investigation, Phuc used a Zalo account under the name Nguyen Tran Dai An to befriend Mr. Hung, 51, a resident of Lien Chieu Ward. Phuc claimed to be a police officer recently transferred to the ward and expressed interest in renting a room at the property Mr. Hung manages in Hoa Khanh Ward. Believing him, Mr. Hung agreed.

From July 9th, knowing Mr. Hung was involved in a civil dispute, Phuc fabricated a scenario of "expediting the case to recover the money" and swindled 180 million VND from him. On 5/8, when Phuc asked for an additional 500 million VND to finalize the matter, Mr. Hung became suspicious and reported the incident to the authorities. A day later, the police uncovered Phuc's fraudulent activities.

Expanding the investigation, the police determined that Phuc also forged a land use right certificate to borrow 600 million VND and showed signs of defrauding several others.

The police also warned people not to transfer money to anyone claiming to be a police officer via social media. If in doubt, contact your local police immediately for verification.

Ngoc Truong

* The victim's name has been changed