On 3/2, Tuyen Quang Provincial Police announced that its Criminal Police Department has initiated legal proceedings against three young men, aged 24 to 26, residing in Ha Noi, Thanh Hoa, and Gia Lai. They are being investigated for the crime of "Illegal Access to Computer Networks, Telecommunications Networks, or Electronic Devices of Others," as stipulated in Article 289 of the Penal Code.

The group's transactions were conducted via Telegram. *Photo: Police provided*

Police assessment indicates that the group operated in an organized manner, contacting foreign individuals through the Telegram application to buy, sell, and exchange email information. This information included usernames and passwords previously leaked through various cyberattacks.

Subsequently, they utilized software with automated capabilities to illegally access these emails. Their goal was to collect and analyze information from these accounts. Once the data was obtained, the group resold it to other parties online for illicit gain.

Initial investigation results determined that between 2024 and 2025, this network bought, sold, and exchanged over 8.4 billion user emails from around the world, generating hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong (VND) in illegal profits. Police are currently expanding the investigation to locate remaining suspects for legal processing.

Following this incident, Tuyen Quang Provincial Police advised the public not to share sensitive information, including: citizen identification numbers, bank account numbers, passwords, and one-time passwords (OTPs), via social media or email. Individuals should exercise caution when downloading applications from unknown sources and only install software from official channels.