Police in Nghe An province have dismantled a transnational fraud network, arresting nearly 100 suspects, including a couple believed to be the masterminds behind the operation, which stole more than 2 trillion VND (over 78 million USD) from Vietnamese citizens.

On the morning of June 25, Nghe An provincial police reported they had successfully collaborated with various agencies to take down a cybercrime ring operating across Myanmar and the Philippines. Nearly 100 individuals were initially arrested for their involvement in online scams that targeted Vietnamese nationals.

The provincial police’s criminal investigation unit has filed charges and detained suspects for “fraudulent appropriation of property.”

The two ringleaders identified are Phan Dinh Thinh (born 1995) and Le Thi Tra (born 1999), both residents of Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province.

According to investigators, the ring was originally discovered by the criminal police division in Nghe An. It was an organized cybercrime group led by foreign nationals and involved numerous Vietnamese collaborators. The syndicate operated two main branches based in Myanmar and the Philippines. Each branch was managed by a Vietnamese national and structured like a company with hierarchical departments.

Participants in the scam operation were “trained” in scripted fraud tactics and in how to respond to law enforcement in case of arrest. The total number of members across both branches exceeded 300.

The scam network instructed participants to lure victims through fake social media profiles. They used unauthorized Facebook accounts featuring images of attractive and wealthy-looking women to connect with affluent male users. Once trust was established, communication would shift to Viber.

After a couple of days chatting on Viber, the scammers would invite the victims to help with "missions" on e-commerce platforms in exchange for extravagant commissions. At first, victims received both their principal and bonus payments to build trust.

However, as the schemes progressed, victims were asked to invest larger sums in more expensive tasks. Refunds were withheld under the pretense of "system errors" or "incorrect transactions," pushing victims to deposit more money, all of which was eventually stolen.

The organization frequently recruited new members from Vietnam to travel to Myanmar and the Philippines for scam operations. They typically entered Thailand legally by air, then crossed illegally into Myanmar or flew directly to the Philippines.

Following extensive investigation, on June 23, the Nghe An police’s criminal division launched a coordinated operation with support from multiple agencies, deploying hundreds of officers in simultaneous raids across Nghe An and other provinces. Nearly 100 individuals were arrested, including several who had just returned to Vietnam.

Initial confessions indicate the group carried out hundreds of fraud cases nationwide, defrauding victims of over 2 trillion VND (approximately 78 million USD).

Among the cases, one victim in Ho Chi Minh City lost over 41 billion VND (approximately 1.6 million USD), while another in Nghe An was defrauded of more than 15.4 billion VND (about 600,000 USD).

Thien Luong