Man used celebrity images on traditional medicine to sell over 5,400 fraudulent orders

Nguyen Tien Dat orchestrated a scheme where employees digitally altered celebrity images onto traditional bone and joint medicine, falsely promoting its benefits to defraud customers of over 5,400 orders.

After nearly three months of investigation, on 10/8, the Phu Tho Provincial Police Investigation Agency prosecuted Nguyen Tien Dat, 29, residing in Hanoi, along with 20 others, for customer deception.

According to the police, Dat knew a director of a pharmaceutical company in Hanoi who specialized in developing formulas and producing products named "xuong khop ba Sau" (Mrs. Sau's Bone and Joint Medicine). Dat was told by this person that all products met legal requirements.

Suspects and seized evidence. *Photo: Police provided*

Dat agreed to buy each product for 23,000 VND and sold it on social media for 199,000 VND. This meant he profited 176,000 VND per product, an 8-fold markup. Upon receiving an order, Dat would forward it to the director for packaging and delivery to the buyer.

Additionally, Dat recruited over 20 personnel to form teams responsible for marketing, sales, shipping, packaging, and order fulfillment. To build customer trust, these teams used manipulated images and videos of celebrities, falsely associating them with the products. They disseminated exaggerated and misleading information about the products' efficacy and quality.

The investigation agency determined that from May to July 2026, the group successfully sold nearly 5,500 orders, totaling over 2.67 billion VND. The identity of the involved pharmaceutical company director has not yet been disclosed.

Seized "xuong khop ba Sau" products. *Photo: Police provided*

During a search conducted on 31/7, police seized 3,200 labels, packaging materials, 342 boxes of "xuong khop ba Sau" and "An Mach Dan" products, along with many other related items and raw materials.

Following this case, police authorities issued a public warning, advising people to be wary of celebrity endorsements or advertisements that appear exaggerated or contain false claims.