Kiem (24 years old, residing in Yen Tri commune, Phu Tho province) was arrested by Gia Vien Ward Police, Hai Phong city, for investigation into property fraud.
 |
Dinh Van Kiem upon arrest. Photo: Police provided
According to police, Kiem, who had no stable employment, exploited the housing needs of students and workers to defraud them of deposit money.
Starting in late 2025, Kiem used Facebook accounts "Pham Ha", "Trang Huyen", and Zalo account "Trang Xu" to impersonate landlords and post advertisements for cheap rental rooms. He targeted student groups, where many people from provincial areas move to the city seeking affordable housing.
On 25/3, in the Facebook group "Sinh vien Dai hoc Y Duoc Hai Phong", Kiem used the account "Trang Huyen" to post a room for rent at 1 Alley 75 Nguyen Binh Khiem for 1,8 million dong.
This price attracted a 23-year-old woman, also from Phu Tho province like Kiem. After a few exchanges via Zalo, Kiem requested a bank transfer of 1 million dong to reserve the room, claiming high demand.
Believing the lessor was the actual landlord and seeing a specific address, the victim transferred the money. Immediately after the transaction, all communication ceased.
When the victim posted a warning, Kiem changed his account name from "Trang Huyen" to "Pham Ha" to continue deceiving others. Less than a week later, using the same method, Kiem defrauded another student of 1 million dong.
According to Gia Vien Ward Police, although the individual amounts were not large, Kiem's actions caused public outrage because they targeted students and workers in difficult circumstances. Initially, the young man admitted his actions.
Hai Phong City Police urged anyone who has been a victim of Kiem to contact Gia Vien Ward Police for assistance.
Authorities also advised the public not to transfer deposit money without directly viewing the room and verifying the lessor's identity. They also recommended vigilance against unusually cheap rental listings and suggested obtaining a receipt or retaining the lessor's identification information during transactions.
Le Tan
