Phan Thi Kim Luyen, a resident of Thanh Hung commune, received a 15-year prison sentence on 7/4 from the Dong Thap Provincial People's Court for fraud to appropriate property.

Phan Thi Kim Luyen in court. Photo: Nam An

According to the indictment, Luyen, who completed third grade, was divorced with two children. She befriended Mrs. Thu, 49, a resident of Cao Lanh ward, after learning Mrs. Thu had substantial idle funds.

In 6/2023, Luyen, needing money for personal expenses, fabricated a story. She claimed to know Le Thi Le, 45, from Thap Muoi commune, whose husband was hospitalized with an amputated leg and urgently required a loan for treatment.

To build her deception, Luyen used a promotional SIM card to create a Zalo account under the name "Le Thi Le". She befriended Mrs. Thu and repeatedly messaged her, detailing her supposed plight. Luyen also claimed to have purchased insurance that was about to pay out 3,7 billion dong, pleading for a loan with a promise of repayment. To enhance credibility, she sent Mrs. Thu online images of a person with an amputated leg. During Zalo calls, Luyen covered her mouth and altered her voice to evade detection.

Convinced, Mrs. Thu initially transferred 10 million dong. Luyen then presented further justifications for more funds, citing unexpected hospital fees, insurance processing costs, and bank transfer fees for receiving the insurance payout. This led Mrs. Thu to make multiple transfers, totaling 1,6 billion dong. Concerned about being reported, Luyen arranged for 58 million dong to be returned to Mrs. Thu.

Employing similar deceptive tactics, Luyen approached Mrs. Viet, 75, the owner of the guesthouse she rented. Luyen claimed she needed capital to purchase durian for resale, promising a daily interest rate of 5,000 dong per 1 million dong. After Mrs. Viet transferred money, Luyen invented new stories, including her husband's hospitalization and her mother-in-law needing surgery for a tumor. She also promised to sell land to repay debts, using these pretexts to borrow more.

Mrs. Viet subsequently transferred to Luyen a total of 1 billion dong and 21 gold rings, valued at over 157 million dong.

Investigators determined that Luyen defrauded victims of over 2,8 billion dong, which she spent on personal expenses.

Nam An

* Victim names have been changed.