Nguyen Van H. reported the incident to the Phu Xuan Ward Police.

Accordingly, at approximately 1:50 PM on August 27th, Nguyen Van H. (born in 2006, temporarily residing in Phu Xuan ward, a student at a university in the area) received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be a police officer, informed him that his personal information and bank account details had been leaked and were being used by criminals for money laundering and drug trafficking.

The perpetrator demanded that H. prove she was not involved in the case, that she had not exchanged or disclosed any information to anyone, and that she had to follow instructions or she would be arrested immediately. The perpetrator instructed H. to install the Zoom application on her phone, and then make a video call to "work things out."

Upon receiving the video call, H. discovered that the video showed several people in police uniforms working with individuals involved in a money laundering and drug trafficking case, with drugs as evidence. These individuals, impersonating police officers, requested H. to provide personal information, including her permanent and temporary residences, occupation, and family phone numbers. They also demanded that she transfer money to accounts they provided to prove her innocence, promising that the money would be refunded after the investigation was concluded.

Knowing that H. did not have the money to transfer, the perpetrators fabricated a story that H. had received a scholarship to study abroad, instructing her family to transfer 460 million VND to her to pay the fees. After receiving the money from her family, at around 10 PM on August 27th, H. transferred 210 million VND to the perpetrators and continued to transfer another 260 million VND at 9 AM on August 28th.

At approximately 11:30 AM on February 28th, the perpetrators instructed H. to rent a secluded motel room to avoid revealing information about the case. There, they demanded that H. undress to check her tattoos and take pictures. They then sent these pictures to her family, claiming she was in debt and had been kidnapped, demanding 400 million VND or they would beat her and sell her to Cambodia. H.'s family then informed the motel owner and reported the incident to the Phu Xuan Ward Police. Shortly afterward, the Phu Xuan Ward Police located the motel where H. was staying. At that time, H. was still using her laptop and phone to conduct video calls with the perpetrators. The case is currently being handled by the Phu Xuan Ward Police.

The police recommend that citizens be highly vigilant against online fraud, especially scams involving impersonation of police officers, prosecutors, or judges. Note that authorities do not conduct business over the phone or via social media, and do not request money transfers for investigation 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.

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/phap-luat-cuoc-song/canh-giac-voi-thu-doan-lua-dao-bat-coc-online-157580.html