Woman arrested in Vietnam for seafood investment scam totaling over 50 billion dong

Authorities in Nghe An province, Vietnam, have arrested Pham Thi Huong, a 44-year-old woman accused of defrauding numerous individuals out of more than 50 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately $2 million USD).

Huong, who reportedly worked in the seafood trading business, is alleged to have orchestrated a scam from early 2025 until May of the current year. She solicited capital from various people, claiming she needed funds to import large quantities of seafood from Vung Tau and transport it via containers to Mong Cai (Quang Ninh) for sale. She promised investors a share of the profits after each shipment.

To gain their trust, Huong allegedly rented a shop and created fake orders for hundreds of tons of seafood, presenting these to potential investors. Believing her claims, many individuals transferred substantial amounts of money for the business venture. However, investigators suspect Huong diverted all the collected funds for her personal use rather than investing in the seafood trade. She reportedly declared her inability to repay the investors and severed all contact in late May.