On 30/6, Quynh, 38, an employee of the Phu Yen Lottery Company's representative office in Binh Dinh province, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Phu Yen People's Court for fraud and embezzlement, under Article 174 of the Criminal Code.

Tran Ngoc Ha Quynh at the trial. Photo: *The Minh*

According to the verdict, Quynh incurred substantial debt from failed clothing sales and rental property ventures in late 2016. To repay her debts, she exploited her position at the Phu Yen Lottery Company's representative office in Binh Dinh province. She deceived eight people into investing in a scheme to purchase winning lottery tickets from customers and then exchange them with the lottery company for a profit.

To gain their trust, Quynh showed them images of winning lottery tickets, including jackpot prizes, from various lottery companies. However, these tickets had already been claimed by the winners.

Between August 2020 and April 2023, the investors transferred approximately 63 billion VND to Quynh. She used the money to repay debts, pay commissions, and return principal to earlier investors in a Ponzi-like scheme.

At the trial, Quynh expressed remorse and admitted her guilt. During the investigation, she compensated the eight victims with over 54 billion VND.

The Minh - Bui Toan