On 8/8, Ngoc was arrested by An Giang Provincial Police on charges of fraud, forging official documents, and using forged documents.

Pham Thi Ngoc at the police station. Photo: Duong Dong

Pham Thi Ngoc at the police station. Photo: Duong Dong

The investigation revealed that Ngoc was acquainted with a 58-year-old man from Rach Gia ward, An Giang province. Knowing he had purchased land in Phu Quoc but couldn't obtain a land title due to forestry regulations, Ngoc devised a scheme to defraud him. She boasted of connections to provincial officials, claiming she could manipulate the forest boundaries to legitimize his valuable property.

To build trust, Ngoc provided three forged documents confirming the land boundaries and a site map bearing the man's name. These documents bore forged signatures and seals of the Forest Protection Sub-department under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone Forest Protection Department, and the Phu Quoc National Park.

Ngoc then requested 5.9 billion VND from the man, falsely claiming it was needed to bribe officials for the land title.

After a long wait without receiving the title and facing Ngoc's continuous excuses, the man suspected fraud and reported the incident to the police. Forensic analysis confirmed the documents provided by Ngoc were fake.

Ngoc Tai - Duong Dong