Vietnam Police Arrest Three in Sophisticated Online Scams Targeting Overseas Vietnamese

The Quang Ninh Provincial Police have taken decisive action, initiating legal proceedings against three individuals involved in a complex online fraud scheme. This operation underscores the persistent threat of cybercrime, which continues to plague citizens and undermine trust in digital transformation efforts. The perpetrators employed deceptive tactics, ranging from impersonating government officials to offering fraudulent exam services, highlighting the evolving nature of these criminal enterprises.

Specifically, the investigation revealed that Nguyen Thanh Binh allegedly posed as a consultant for IELTS and PTE exams, targeting Vietnamese nationals residing in Australia and Canada. By promising to arrange proxy test-takers for fees between 30 and 36 million VND, Binh managed to defraud victims of nearly 38 million VND. This scheme preys on the aspirations of individuals seeking international qualifications, exploiting their trust and financial resources.

In a separate but related operation, Nguyen Tien Dat and Nguyen Thi Chuyen are accused of impersonating local government and police officials. They contacted citizens with a fabricated story about needing to update their citizen identification and VNeID accounts following administrative boundary changes. By convincing victims to add them on Zalo and Facebook, share their phone screens, and provide One-Time Passwords (OTP), they gained unauthorized access to accounts and illicitly obtained approximately 142 million VND. This highlights a disturbing trend of exploiting official digital identity platforms for criminal gain.

The Quang Ninh Provincial Police emphasize that these online scams are not isolated incidents but part of a broader, increasingly sophisticated trend that causes significant financial losses and erodes public confidence. They urge the public to exercise extreme caution, refrain from sharing personal information, bank details, or OTP codes with unknown individuals, and to only use official platforms like the VNeID app or the National Public Service Portal for official procedures. This proactive stance aims to protect citizens and maintain the integrity of the nation's digital transition.

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The provincial police are urging people to be absolutely cautious and not to provide personal information, bank accounts, or OTP codes to strangers; do not share phone screens or transfer money at the request of phone calls and social networks.