On 26/7, Phu Tho provincial police announced the arrest of the ringleader, 39-year-old Do Dong Hung, and six other members of the criminal group. They are being investigated for property fraud.
The other defendants are Phan Ba Huynh, 32; Nguyen Hai Long, 24; Nguyen Van Chung, 32 (all from Thai Nguyen province); Bui Van Hung, 24, from Bac Ninh province; Trinh Thi Thu Uyen, 34, from Dong Nai province; and Nguyen Hong Phi, 24, from Nghe An province.
Police also summoned two other suspects, 16-year-old Pham Thi Huyen Trang from Hai Phong and 18-year-old Luong Thi Lieu from Bac Ninh, to clarify their involvement.
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Ringleader Do Dong Hung at the police station. Photo: Police provided |
Ringleader Do Dong Hung at the police station. Photo: Police provided
The gang of 25-30 Vietnamese individuals, led by Do Dong Hung, operated out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They used dating apps like "Tinh yeu 2.1" and "Ket noi yeu thuong" to target victims in Vietnam. Hung assigned tasks and paid different salaries to each group member.
The "client acquisition" team was responsible for befriending middle-aged, single women online. They used Telegram accounts, posing as successful and attractive men to gain trust. After establishing a relationship, they lured victims into investment schemes, prize draws, and online gambling. Initially, they sent small profits to encourage larger deposits.
The "client termination" team then took over, using technical manipulations to prevent victims from withdrawing their money. They demanded additional fees for withdrawals, further exploiting the victims until their funds were depleted. Once the victims were financially drained, the gang cut off contact and erased their tracks.
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Two of the defendants in the case. Photo: Police provided |
Two of the defendants in the case. Photo: Police provided
Based on collected evidence, on 16/7, the Criminal Investigation Department deployed teams across several provinces to track down the suspects. Initial findings indicate the gang defrauded victims of hundreds of millions of dong.
Police are urging remaining suspects to surrender to the Criminal Investigation Department to receive leniency.
