On 17/8, the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Court sentenced Dau Thi Huyen Trang, 35, residing in Thanh Sen ward, for "fraudulent appropriation of property" under Article 174 of the Penal Code.

According to the indictment, from 1/2 to 2/2, Trang began defrauding taxi drivers to fund her online gambling activities.

Trang booked taxis for trips between Thanh Sen ward, Dan Hai commune (Ha Tinh province), and Thanh Vinh ward (Nghe An province). She then concocted various stories, claiming relatives had severe accidents or illnesses requiring emergency care, and needed money for hospital fees, medication, or lacked funds for purchases, asking drivers for loans.

After exiting the taxi, Trang would claim her bank account had an error, preventing transfers, or show drivers fake screenshots of successful transfers, promising the money would arrive the next day.

Trusting her, the drivers allowed her to leave without immediate payment, but they never received the promised funds.

Authorities allege that through these fabricated stories, Trang defrauded seven taxi drivers of over 29 million dong, encompassing both the borrowed money and unpaid fares.

Following reports from the victims, Trang was arrested in 2/2.

Defendant Trang in court. *Photo: Hung Le*

Land deposit fraud exceeds 1.3 billion dong

Earlier, from 9/2025 to 10/2025, Trang exploited the "land fever" in Dan Hai commune (formerly part of Nghi Xuan district). She disseminated false information, inviting others to contribute money to purchase or accepting funds from clients to sell plots of land she did not own.

Trang informed Ms. Dinh Thi Xuan about a land investment opportunity in Hoi Thuy village, persuading her to contribute 100 million dong as a deposit. After receiving the money, the defendant fabricated further needs, leading Ms. Xuan to hand over an additional 50 million dong.

To Mr. Phan Van Bao and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Trang continued to provide false information regarding three land plots in the Hoi Thuy village planning area. Mr. Bao handed over 200 million dong as a deposit for one plot, while Mr. Hung provided a total of 550 million dong for two other plots.

In another instance, Trang acted as a broker for a land plot exceeding 204 square meters. When Mr. Ho Viet Trieu contacted her, the defendant falsely claimed to have put down a 500 million dong deposit to acquire the land but was unable to complete the purchase, offering to resell it at a lower price.

Believing her, Mr. Trieu handed over 500 million dong. Trang returned 50 million dong, using the remaining 450 million dong to repay online loans.

Through these schemes, Trang defrauded four individuals of over 1.3 billion dong within approximately two months.

Duc Hung