Khanh Hoa Provincial Police on 8/1 temporarily detained Hoang Thi Thanh Tu, 45, a Hanoi resident, on charges of property fraud.

Hoang Thi Thanh Tu at the investigative agency. Photo: Cong an Khanh Hoa

Investigations revealed Tu serves as the director of Hoang Gia Viet Nam Company Limited and Services. In 2017, through real estate transactions and brokerage, she met a 46-year-old man from Dien Lam commune.

Aware of the man's interest in purchasing land within a specific package at the My Gia urban area in Nam Nha Trang ward, Tu allegedly fabricated a story. She claimed the investor had granted her "priority access to special allocation plots" at a price of 9 million VND per square meter, requiring a 200 million VND deposit per plot. The remaining balance, she stated, would be due upon the project's official launch.

Trusting Tu's claims, the man agreed to purchase 70 plots, transferring a total deposit of 14 billion VND. This occurred despite the project package only being in its initial construction phase and not yet open for sale. Tu reportedly used the client's funds to establish restaurants, milk tea shops, and clothing stores, as well as to settle debts and cover personal expenses.

By 2022, when the land package officially became available, the man contacted the project investor directly. Upon discovering the deception, he promptly filed a formal complaint against Tu with the police.

Bui Toan