On 29/1, Bac Ninh provincial police announced that the investigative police agency had initiated legal proceedings against Nguyen Van Quyen, 28, his wife Nguyen Thi Ngan Quynh, 31, and nine others, all residents of Quang Tri province, on charges of fraudulent appropriation of property. Quyen and Quynh were identified as the ringleaders of the operation.

Preliminary investigation results indicate that Quyen's group established a fraud hub at their private residence in Hoa Khanh, Da Nang city. They monitored online sales livestreams to gather customer order information.

Subsequently, the group impersonated sellers and sent messages via Messenger, directing buyers to click on a provided link. Users who accessed the link were prompted to enter personal details, leading to the hijacking of their social media accounts.

Police raid the crime hub. Photo: Provided by police.

After hijacking personal accounts, the scammers would read chat histories between victims and their contacts to understand daily habits and relationship dynamics. They would then message the victims' friends and relatives, soliciting loans or requesting money transfers.

If a contact agreed to transfer funds, Quyen and his accomplices would acquire bank accounts registered under names identical to the hijacked Facebook accounts. This tactic effectively lowered the victims' guard.

Quyen confessed that the bank accounts were acquired through Telegram from an unknown individual using the nickname 'Auto Bank'. Upon receiving funds, the scammers immediately ceased communication. The defrauded money was then laundered through multiple accounts, pawn shops, and money transfer services, with the final destination being Quynh's account for personal use.

Police have initially determined that the network led by Quyen and his wife successfully hijacked Facebook and Zalo accounts, defrauding hundreds of individuals of over 50 billion VND.