Director of Seo Supermarket Media Co. and 17 others charged for boosting gambling websites

Hanoi police have launched a criminal case and arrested 18 people, including the director of Seo Supermarket Media Co., for their alleged involvement in illegally providing information online. The group operated under the guise of a media services company but is accused of facilitating illegal activities.

According to initial investigations, the company, led by 31-year-old director Pham Ngoc Manh, specialized in enhancing search engine rankings and increasing traffic for websites. However, a significant portion of their clientele reportedly consisted of illegal gambling sites operating online.

Manh is accused of directing his employees to create numerous "backlinks" and promotional content to improve the search engine visibility of these illicit websites. The company was structured with various departments, including marketing, customer service, SEO, and IT, to manage its operations professionally.

To conceal financial transactions, Manh allegedly used 41 cryptocurrency e-wallets to receive payments in USDT from clients. Employee salaries were primarily paid in cash. During searches, authorities confiscated over 7 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately $300,000) in cash and converted cryptocurrency, a 3 billion dong savings account, 29 computers, and 41 mobile phones. The company reportedly earned about 3.7 billion Vietnamese dong from January 2026 until its discovery, mainly from promoting illegal websites, including 22 Vietnamese-language gambling sites operating without permits.

Hanoi police stated that this case serves as a warning to organizations and individuals who exploit online advertising and SEO services to support illegal websites, particularly online gambling platforms, which negatively impact cybersecurity and public order.

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This case is a warning to organizations and individuals who exploit online advertising and SEO services to support illegal websites. Especially online gambling sites, which negatively impact network security, order, and safety.