On 7/5, Quang Tri Provincial Police announced they had prosecuted 61 defendants for fraud to appropriate property, under Article 174 of the Penal Code.

Members of the ring arrested. Photo: Quang Tri Provincial Police

Members of the ring arrested. Photo: Quang Tri Provincial Police

According to the investigation, the group worked for a Chinese national in Cambodia, specializing in illegally collecting personal information from middle-aged women for fraudulent purposes.

Suspects would befriend, message, and call victims using pre-written scripts to build trust. They then enticed victims to invest in virtual currency and foreign exchange through fake websites like "cme-trading.online" and "cmetradingvn.com", which were designed to mimic real trading platforms. Initially, the group created fake profits to stimulate the desire for quick money, leading victims to transfer more funds, which were then appropriated.

The Criminal Police Department, in coordination with police from several provinces, formed 8 task forces. These teams tracked down, summoned, and arrested the suspects as they entered Vietnam. Within the ring, each individual was assigned a specific role, including: managing operations, interpreting for the Chinese boss, leading teams, screening data, providing social media accounts, and handling money transfers and SIM card purchases to facilitate the fraud.

Authorities allege the ring defrauded hundreds of people nationwide, appropriating approximately 3,000 billion VND annually. In Quang Tri alone, one victim lost over 2.7 billion VND.

Police are expanding the investigation to identify dozens more individuals involved.

Dac Thanh