Arrested the "boss" of the case of defrauding 7,000 people to buy phones, appropriating more than 90 billion

On the morning of April 8, the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Province Police announced that the unit had just dismantled a ring selling fake phones on social platforms, defrauding about 7,000 victims in many provinces and cities across the country. At the same time, the police prosecuted "boss" Bui Thi Huong (born in 1981, residing in Hanoi) and 21 defendants for fraud and property appropriation, seizing 20 computers and 3,000 poor quality phones.

According to the investigation agency, from information provided by the victims, in January 2024, the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Provincial Police discovered a group of fraudsters appropriating property in the form of selling cheap phones on social networking platforms such as Facebook, Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, and Tiki.

The subjects recruited and trained employees to perform steps such as setting up booths on e-commerce platforms Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, Tiki, running advertisements and consulting products for customers.

After that, the subjects posted pictures of genuine smartphones at prices much cheaper than the actual price, only ranging from 1.5-2.5 million VND, then delivered fake products (including charging coils, backup chargers, and cheap keypad phones).

After reaching the customer, the subjects will text to advise on the product and persuade the customer to buy. After the customer receives the goods and pays, the subjects will block contact with the victim.

At the end of January 2024, the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Police mobilized 50 officers and soldiers, divided into 9 working groups to break up part of the case in Hanoi and Thanh Hoa City, arresting 9 subjects. Of which, Dang Thi Them (born in 1995, residing in Lang Ha Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi) and her husband Le Quang Vinh (born in 1993, residing in Thanh Hoa Province) are the 2 leaders of this fraud ring.

During the search of the locations, the police seized many electronic devices, dozens of mobile phones, bill printers, heat guns, heat presses, fake warranty cards, and more than 100 poor quality mobile phones used for criminal activities.

Expanding the investigation, the investigation agency determined that Dang Thi Them was a link in the fraud ring led by Bui Thi Huong.

Previously, at the end of 2022, Dang Thi Them separated with her husband Le Quang Vinh to establish a separate fraud ring. The investigation team determined that Bui Thi Huong and her accomplices were operating in Hanoi.

In Hanoi, the police organized 3 reconnaissance teams of 50 officers and soldiers to simultaneously arrest and search 3 important locations, including Bui Thi Huong's warehouse in Van Canh urban area, Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc, Hanoi city. Building A3, where "team leader" Nguyen Minh Duc (born in 1987, permanent resident of Hung Yen) and his subordinates worked in Cau Dien ward, Nam Tu Liem district and the apartment of the accounting group Tran Thi Hien, in charge of Bui Thi Huong, located on Nguyen Dong Chi street, Cau Dien ward.

During the search of Bui Thi Huong's warehouse, the police discovered thousands of phone boxes packed tightly from the first to the third floors of the building, hundreds of chargers, backup chargers, and mobile devices that were counterfeiting famous brands, and a livestream corner for online sales.

Bui Thi Huong confessed that she started selling mobile phones on Shopee in June 2022 but was unsuccessful. After that, Huong discussed with Nguyen Minh Duc about committing fraud to appropriate customers' assets.

Huong used the Taobao.com platform to order fake chargers, power banks, and phones from China and directed Duc to buy boxes and plastic bags covering the boxes (called seals) to assemble fake products with the same weight as real products to trick buyers into believing that they were genuine products.

Police determined that this line has been operating since 2019, defrauding an estimated 7,000 victims and appropriating more than 90 billion VND.

The case is currently under investigation.