The People's Procuracy of Bac Ninh province has provided detailed information about the methods of a fake police fraud ring involving more than 13,000 victims with a total amount of nearly 1,000 billion VND.
According to information from the People's Procuracy of Bac Ninh province, the unit has approved the decision to prosecute and temporarily detain 39 people in a fraud ring impersonating police officers with more than 13,000 victims for fraud and property appropriation. This agency continues to coordinate with the Bac Ninh Provincial Police to expand the case.
Scam scenario
Around the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, a property fraud organization was established and operated by a number of Chinese people (information and background unknown) in the "Tam Thai Tu" area of Bavet city, Svay Rieng province, Cambodia.
This organization operates by impersonating ward and district police officers and calling victims to update their citizen identification information online by installing malware-containing applications on Android phones. From there, they take over the phone and steal money from the victims' bank accounts.
The fraud organization is divided into 3 groups: Scratch 1, Scratch 2, Scratch 3 and assigned specific tasks. In which,Scratch 1Provided with desktop computer, computer-connected device with calling function.
Every day, Cao 1 receives a data file containing information of 80-100 people. This group impersonates ward and commune police officers to call the victims to inform them of information related to personal identification codes, procedures for declaring citizen identification cards, synchronizing citizen identification data on the national data system... and then asks them to contact district-level police officers (impersonated by Cao 2) for instructions on how to proceed with the next procedure.
Scratch 2Pretending to be officers of the District Police Administrative Management Team, Provincial Police Administrative Management Department to support and guide people in carrying out procedures related to citizen identification through online public administration applications.
Once gaining trust, Cao 2 asked the victim to use an Android phone to access links impersonating government websites, for example chinhphu.khaibaoshktd.com (domain name can be changed) and download an application called "DICH VU CONG" to the device.
If you fill in the information and click confirm, the phone will be immediately taken over. At this time, Cao 2 and Cao 3 will withdraw money from the "prey's" bank account.
Scratch 3Use a computer to access the victim's hijacked phone, log into banking applications on the phone to steal money.
When the banking application requires biometric authentication by face or fingerprint, Cao 3 coordinates with Cao 2 to find suitable reasons to ask the victim to perform biometric authentication on his own phone without knowing.
Once the money has been appropriated, Cao 3 will transfer it to the money laundering contact accounts (often called Nha Xe) which are the company's partners in Cambodia. After laundering the money, these contacts will convert it into USDT virtual currency for the boss with a money laundering fee of 7%.
With the amount of money embezzled, the company pays a fixed salary every month depending on the role, position, and task. Normally, each person receives 600 USD/month; the commission that Cao 1 and Cao 2 receive is 2.5% of the total amount embezzled, Cao 3 receives 1%. In addition, there are bonuses including diligence money, daily single bonus of 30 USD, weekly bonus, birthday bonus of 100 USD...
Online communication, must use nickname
Those working in this scam line are given a code and a phone SIM card by the manager to create an account on the Telegram application to work on the computer. During the work process, they are not allowed to use their real names but must use nicknames and employee codes given by the company when they first start working. The exchange of information, work, and reporting of results are all done on Telegram.
The scam organization also set up many chat groups on Telegram to divide work, information, and receive instructions and guidance from management.
On January 23 and 24, right after landing at Noi Bai airport, 39 members of this fraud group were arrested by authorities.
Initially, the authorities identified that among them, Pham Thi Huyen Trang, Dinh Nhu Quynh, and Do Van Nghia were senior managers, interpreters, and assistants to the Chinese boss (nicknamed ACE), who provided data (information of the victims) for the Cao 1 group (managed by Nguyen Van Manh and Nguyen Duc Toan) to lure the victims.
According to the People's Procuracy of Bac Ninh province, the arrested group included 26 people in group Cao 1; 5 people in group Cao 2 and 3 people in group Cao 3.
Preliminary determination, the total amount of money this fraud ring appropriated from the victims is more than 50.8 billion VND.
VN (according to VTC News)