Duong Van Dai, 24, residing in Bac Ninh, has been arrested and detained on charges of "fraudulent appropriation of property" under Article 174 of the Penal Code. The People's Procuracy of Nghe An province issued and announced the procedural decisions on 3/12.

Duong Van Dai (in gray shirt), working with investigators. Photo: People's Procuracy of Nghe An province

Dai previously worked as an employee for a labor export company headquartered in Hanoi, where he led the representative office in Nghe An. His role involved processing applications for individuals seeking labor opportunities in Canada. In mid-2024, Dai incurred significant losses from forex investments. These losses led his employer to deduct funds from his salary to cover debts, ultimately resulting in his termination.

Leveraging his prior experience as a consultant and his detailed understanding of the application process and required documents, Dai devised a scheme. He allegedly copied genuine application files of clients who had already received Canadian visas. Using editing software, he created counterfeit documents, including fake visa approval notifications and fingerprinting requests. He then transmitted this fraudulent information to prospective applicants via a Telegram group, convincing them to transfer funds ranging from several hundred million to over one billion VND.

Between April and October, 15 individuals from Nghe An and across the country, believing Dai's claims, transferred over 10 billion VND to him. Instead of processing their applications, Dai reportedly used the money to repay personal debts and continue his forex investments.

Following complaints from the victims, police arrested Dai in late November.

Duc Hung