"Female monster" scammed people by winning SH mode motorbike, exposed by Chi Linh police

Sophisticated tricks

Recently, the Investigation Police Agency of Chi Linh City Police (Hai Duong) received a report from local residents about being scammed out of more than 70 million VND by winning a SH motorbike as a gift. Realizing that this was a serious incident, affecting people's lives and social order and safety, the Investigation Police Agency of Chi Linh City Police urgently mobilized forces and used synchronous professional measures to crack down on it.

From the clues provided by the victim, the Chi Linh City Police Investigation Agency gradually investigated and clarified the case. Initially, the police agency determined that there was a well-organized and tightly-knit fraud ring.

As a result of the investigation, the Chi Linh City Police Department identified Le Thi Phuong (born in 1985, in Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa) as the mastermind and leader of the group. From April to November 2023, Phuong rented a house from a resident in Team 4, Tho Lam commune (Tho Xuan) as a base to carry out the fraud. Phuong's base was equipped with computers and various types of phones. Phuong also recruited nearly 20 female employees who were locals to make phone calls pretending to be bank consultants, sales staff, send messages inviting friends on social networks, call customers who needed loans, buy goods and win high-value SH motorbikes.

To successfully scam customers into buying and winning high-value SH motorbikes, Phuong has worked hard to think and build a scenario with many layers to gradually lure customers. The scenario Phuong built has 5 steps including: program 1 bait to announce the SH mode motorbike prize, program 2 bait to make vehicle documents, program 3 bait to grant license, transport the prize, program 4 bait to convert the prize, program 5 bait to grant license to award prizes.

With the bait programs offered, if the victim believes, Phuong will have the staff call and ask the SH Mode motorbike winner to transfer money to pay for expenses such as vehicle registration, transportation license fee or pay the fee to convert the motorbike into cash (this method is applied to those who do not want to receive the motorbike - the prize level is reported by the subjects to be higher than the value of the SH motorbike).

Because of gullibility, trust, and desire for the big prize, some people have transferred them a total amount equal to the value of the car or higher, like a victim in Hoa Binh province who transferred 78 million VND.

For customers who need to borrow money, Phuong and the group guide them to fill out loan applications from 20 million to 100 million VND. Then, the group gives a series of reasons why if they want to receive money, customers need to buy loan insurance and some types of taxes and fees. When customers trust Phuong and transfer these types of money, they are immediately robbed.

After the victims transferred money and saw that the scam was successful, Phuong's group would block their communications, delete their social media information and appropriate their money.

Victims in more than 40 provinces and cities

According to the Chi Linh City Police Investigation Agency, up to now, the unit has identified victims in more than 40 provinces and cities nationwide who fell into Phuong's scam ring. Of these, the police force has verified that 20 people in 16 provinces and cities were scammed out of more than 600 million VND. 70% of the victims involved in Phuong's scam are elderly people because they have little access to information about forms and tricks of fraud on the internet and are gullible, greedy for high-value gifts.

This is the largest cyber fraud case ever busted by the district police of the province. To investigate and clarify the case, the Chi Linh City Police encountered many difficulties. Because the crime was committed on the internet, the police force spent a lot of time and effort to find clues. The victims were in more than 40 provinces and cities, so the verification work encountered many difficulties. Many victims did not cooperate and showed signs of hiding information from the police.

According to Chi Linh City Police, Phuong's cyber fraud ring has left many negative impacts on the community, not only on the victims but also on those who work for Phuong. To receive the reward, many victims have to borrow money from relatives and friends to pay, leading to debt and the inability to pay. Many women working for Phuong are young and have small children. Just because they have no jobs and no money to cover their living expenses, they have been caught up in the law. The monthly wages Phuong pays them are very low, a successful fraud only receives 5-10% of the value. Many people have limited awareness of the law. Although they know what they are doing is wrong, they think that if anything happens, Phuong will have to bear it alone, so they actively help Phuong.

The Investigation Police Agency of Chi Linh City Police has decided to prosecute the defendant Phuong and 16 other defendants for fraud and property appropriation.