Woman accused of defrauding friend’s family of more than VND836 million in fake Japan legal-help scheme

Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam allegedly saw an opportunity to exploit a family’s fear after a Vietnamese acquaintance was arrested by police in Japan. The 38-year-old Hải Phòng resident is accused of promising to arrange his release in exchange for money.

According to Phú Thọ provincial police, Tam knew the man, identified as T.T.Đ, who was working illegally in Japan. After learning that he had been detained and could not contact his family, she contacted his sister through a Facebook account named “Nguyễn Thanh Tâm.”

Tam allegedly claimed that she had extensive contacts in Japan and could help secure his freedom and return to Vietnam. To make the story appear credible, investigators say she created several online identities and used Facebook, Messenger, Zalo and Gmail accounts to pose as people connected to the case.

The man’s sister transferred money to Tam’s bank account several times between Feb. 21 and April 1, 2025. The total exceeded 836 million Vietnamese dong. Police say Tam carried out none of the promised legal-help procedures and instead kept the money for personal use.

Authorities have opened a criminal case under Vietnam’s law on property appropriation fraud and say the investigation continues. Police warned people not to send money to anyone claiming to arrange a legal case abroad without first verifying the information. Families facing an overseas arrest or other legal problem should contact authorities, Vietnamese diplomatic representatives or other competent agencies.