On 6/5, Pham Le Duy, 29, a former head of the debt recovery department, and his accomplices were tried by the People's Court of TP HCM for extortion. The investigation into violations by Power Law Company's board of directors, some group leaders, and other employees is ongoing.
Case files reveal that Power Law Co., Ltd. - Saigon Branch, legally represented by Hoang Quoc Viet, operated from offices in Binh Dong ward (former District 8) and An Phu Dong ward (former District 12). The company offered debt collection services to 18 financial institutions, banks, and online lending platforms.
Customer data, encompassing personal information, loan amounts, and outstanding debts, was stored on a centralized management system (CRM). Once uploaded, department heads distributed lists of debtors to individual employees. Debt collection staff accessed the system to obtain phone numbers of borrowers and their relatives, contacting them to remind them of their obligations as per standard procedure.
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The defendants in court today. *Binh Nguyen* |
In July 2021, Duy became head of Power Law Company's debt recovery department, earning 15 million VND monthly plus a commission on recovered debts. His duties included receiving customer loan files from the company and distributing them to staff.
To meet sales targets, Duy and other employees arbitrarily manipulated images and disseminated false information about borrowers or their relatives on Facebook and Zalo. This content often defamed reputations, including phrases like: "searching for fraudsters", "obituaries", or fabricated pleas for charity based on false hardships. Such tactics aimed to create psychological pressure and coerce victims into repayment.
Pham Le Duy personally engaged in these acts against numerous borrowers, demanding over 16 million VND in total.
Other employees were found to have committed similar offenses. For instance, Bui Thi Thu Huyen manipulated images of relatives of six debtors, publishing them with false content to coerce repayment of a 38 million VND loan.
On 19/11/2022, following verification of numerous public complaints, District 12 Police, in collaboration with the Criminal Police Department (PC02) of TP HCM Police, conducted searches and arrested Duy and his accomplices.
Authorities determined that while initial debt collection operations were legal, the defendants' use of manipulated images and false information to exert pressure crossed legal boundaries.
During the investigation and trial, Duy and his accomplices admitted their offenses. They claimed limited legal understanding and sales pressure led them to these actions, aiming to compel borrowers to repay debts. The defendants expressed remorse, requesting the court consider leniency.
The court sentenced Duy to 3 years, 5 months, and 15 days in prison, with immediate release. Bui Thi Thu Huyen received 3 years and 6 months in prison.
The remaining defendants received suspended sentences ranging from 2 years and 6 months to 3 years, 5 months, and 15 days, also with immediate release.
