Nguyen Van H. reported the online "kidnapping" scam to the police.

Diverse forms of fraud

In early September, residents of Hue City were abuzz with news of a male student being scammed using a new method: online "kidnapping."

At approximately 1:50 PM on August 27th, Nguyen Van H. (born in 2006, residing in Phu Xuan ward, a university student) received a call from an unknown number. The caller, posing as a police officer, informed H. that his personal information and bank account details had been compromised and were linked to money laundering and drug trafficking. The caller demanded that H. install the Zoom application for a "meeting," threatening arrest if he did not comply.

Through a video call, H. saw images of people in police uniforms along with seized drugs. They requested personal information and asked for money to be transferred to an account for "verification." When they realized H. didn't have the money, they fabricated a story about a study abroad scholarship, forcing the family to transfer 460 million VND to pay the fees. On the evening of August 27th and the morning of August 28th, H. transferred 210 million VND and 260 million VND to the perpetrators, respectively.

Furthermore, at around 11:30 AM on August 28th, the scammers instructed H. to rent a secluded motel room, undress for a "tattoo inspection," and take photos to send to her family, portraying her as having been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of 400 million VND, threatening to beat her and sell her to Cambodia if her demands were not met.

Suspicious, the family reported the matter to the landlord and the Phu Xuan Ward Police. The police quickly identified H.'s rented accommodation and rescued her in time while she was continuing a video call with the perpetrators.

According to the Hue City Police, online scams are not new, but many people, especially the elderly who lack technological knowledge or young people with vulnerable minds, still fall victim.

Targeting vulnerable groups

According to information from the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of the Hue City Police, whenever new state administrative procedures are introduced, such as: renewing driver's licenses, verifying VNeID accounts, updating bank account biometrics, electronic tax refunds, etc., criminals create new scam scenarios, causing victims to get lost in a "maze" of information and easily deceived.

Common methods and tactics used by high-tech criminals include: emotional scams followed by enticement to invest financially, complete online tasks, or send valuable money or gifts; impersonating financial companies or banks to offer loan assistance or credit limit increases, then requesting money transfers for processing; impersonating government agencies to contact people for administrative procedures; impersonating government officials to make threatening phone calls demanding money transfers or assistance in recovering money that has been scammed…

Besides online scams, there have been instances of groups from outside the province coming to Hue City and devising sophisticated scam schemes.

Notably, in early September, Ms. HTT (71 years old, residing in Hoa Chau ward, owner of a building materials store) reported being approached by a man with a Southern accent who introduced himself as an excavator driver and boasted about having just unearthed a ceramic jar containing "ancient artifacts" including a bunch of bananas and a branch of betel nut made of gold. The man offered to exchange the "ancient artifacts" for a gold ring worth $5,000 that Ms. T. was wearing. Believing him, she handed over the ring and it was stolen.

Identifying this as a mobile criminal group, Colonel Ho Xuan Phuong, Deputy Director of the Hue City Police, directed an urgent investigation. Within just three hours, law enforcement officers surrounded and apprehended the group at a guesthouse in Thanh Thuy ward. They confessed to buying bunches of bananas and branches of betel nut made of gold-colored metal on TikTok (priced at 700,000 - 1,400,000 VND), covering them with soil and sand to create the illusion of "antiques," and then deceiving elderly and gullible people in exchange for gold and jewelry.

Using the same method, two other scams were successfully carried out in Hue City. The seized items included 12 bunches of bananas, 10 fake gold betel nut branches, 4 motorbikes, 6 mobile phones, 1 fake gold ring, and 18.3 million VND. Further investigation revealed that the suspects also confessed to committing two similar scams in Da Nang City and Gia Lai Province.

This incident serves as a warning to the public, especially the elderly, to be extremely wary of offers and solicitations about "antiques" or rare items of unknown origin.

Following recent incidents, the Hue City Police Department recommends that citizens remain vigilant against fraud, especially online fraud. Common tactics include impersonating police officers, prosecutors, or court officials to commit fraud. It is important to note that authorities do not conduct investigations via telephone or social media, and do not request money transfers for investigative purposes.

When receiving notification of indictment or arrest warrant via phone, citizens should remain calm, not panic, and refrain from providing personal information, bank account details, OTP codes, or transferring money; they should not self-isolate or comply with the demands of the perpetrators. For families, upon receiving information about a kidnapped relative, they should quickly contact the nearest police station for assistance and guidance, and not comply with the demands of the perpetrators.

Text and photos: Minh Nguyen

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/an-ninh-quoc-phong/canh-giac-thu-doan-lua-dao-bien-tuong-157908.html