THANH HOA; Investigative police in the central province of Thanh Hoa on Wednesday announced that they had initiated criminal proceedings against 84 individuals, most of them foreigners, for two offences under the Penal Code.
They were charged with using computer networks, telecommunications networks or electronic means to misappropriate property, and organising or facilitating the illegal entry, exit or stay of others in Vietnam.
Among them, Zhao Xuefeng, known by the Vietnamese name Dong, a Chinese national born in 1987, has been identified as the mastermind and ringleader of the criminal organisation.
These 84 individuals are part of a group of 118 people detained by Thanh Hoa Province police after they raided a hotel on October 17. The group comprised 113 foreign nationals and five Vietnamese citizens.
The foreign nationals included 74 Chinese, 28 Indians, nine Cambodians, one Malaysian and one Burmese.
Police found that most of them had previously resided in Laos or Cambodia, 18 had entered Vietnam illegally, and one was wanted by authorities abroad.
They also seized various pieces of machinery and electronic equipment used to facilitate online fraud.
Before the raid, intelligence-gathering efforts by the immigration management division of Thanh Hoa Province police revealed that the group had rented the entire Van Hoa Hotel in Nghi Son Ward.
Upon arrival, they brought in a large quantity of computers and telecommunications equipment, disguised as used goods.
The group maintained a secluded lifestyle, enforced strict surveillance with guards, restricted outsider access, and showed signs of illegal activity.
They were divided across six rooms, each focusing on different markets and types of fraud, primarily involving financial and cryptocurrency investment schemes, online sports betting, fake job recruitment and tasks that promised monetary rewards.
The group targeted people across various countries and territories, including Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, the US and mainland China. They used tailored scripts to establish contact, build trust and coerce victims into transferring money.
In Taiwan (China), they befriended women aged over 40 through messaging apps before luring them to invest in foreign exchange through the MGX platform.
In the Republic of Korea, they posed as representatives of a company called Nexuswh Investment, offering stock investment advice and instructing victims to download an application, deposit funds and execute trades. Once victims sought to withdraw their funds or could no longer continue investing, the group cut off all communication.
In Japan, they befriended women on social media, established relationships and lured them into investing in cryptocurrency through online platforms. A Chinese individual commonly referred to as Dai Lu (Mainlander) directed this operation.
One group hosted live streams of sporting events on social media to attract viewers before inviting them to place bets on pre-established websites.
Another group used fake Facebook accounts, posing as wealthy, successful individuals, to approach Indian nationals living in various countries. After building trust, they lured victims into depositing funds and buying stocks, which they presented as investment opportunities.
They initially generated artificial profits and let victims withdraw small sums before persuading them to transfer larger amounts. They then cut off all contact once the victims' financial resources were exhausted.
Another group carried out recruitment scams, inviting victims to apply for positions at non-existent companies and demanding training or recruitment fees.
Thanh Hoa Province police identified the group as a sophisticated transnational criminal organisation operating in cyberspace and reported it to the Ministry of Public Security. A formal investigation was subsequently launched in coordination with the ministry's criminal police and cybersecurity departments.
A task force comprising investigators, intelligence officers, interpreters and high-tech crime personnel was mobilised for the raid on October 17. — VNS
