Keeping the Homeland Safe: Stopping Cybercrime

In early August 2025, at the 9th "For National Security" Emulation Congress, Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam (31 years old) was honored to receive a certificate of typical progress from General Secretary To Lam and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang .

Giữ Tổ quốc bình yên: Chặn đứng tội phạm trên không gian mạng- Ảnh 1. — Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam (31 years old, second from right) was honored to receive the certificate of typical progress from General Secretary To Lam and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang.

Captain Lam was born and raised in the city of thousands of flowers, Da Lat. In 2012, he entered the People's Security University (HCMC), majoring in security reconnaissance, but he was passionate about computers, so he was selected to join the school's Olympic team to participate in computer competitions. He was the champion of the ACM/ICPC tournament and was the head of the school's Foreign Language - Information Technology Club.

At that time, the issue of network security was still limited and was not taught in schools. One time, watching TV, he saw Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang mention "network security", so he voluntarily researched. In 2015, he had 2 scientific research topics on the police force and new technology, the police and the cyberspace front. Also in 2015, he was honored to be selected to attend the National Youth Talent Congress organized by the Central Youth Union. In 2016, he achieved the title of 5 good students of the Ministry of Public Security and in 2017, he graduated with the title of excellent student of the whole faculty.

After that, he was transferred to Ninh Thuan Provincial Police. Because he was good at foreign languages, he was assigned to work in the Foreign Security Department, which also took care of immigration management.

Making achievements in preventing Covid-19 epidemic

A few years later, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, Captain Lam chaired and advised the board of directors on the work of preventing and combating the Covid-19 epidemic from entering Ninh Thuan province. Specifically, in 2020, he chaired and advised on the management of entry and exit of foreigners and Vietnamese citizens. He promptly discovered that two patients, 61 and 67, were infected with Covid-19 and entered Ninh Thuan.

Giữ Tổ quốc bình yên: Chặn đứng tội phạm trên không gian mạng- Ảnh 2. — Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam is considered the nemesis of high-tech crimes in cyberspace.

Accordingly, the leaders of Ninh Thuan Provincial Police reported to the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee to isolate and suppress the epidemic. Captain Lam was awarded a certificate of merit by the Minister of Public Security for his achievements in preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic.

At the end of 2020, Captain Lam transferred to the Internal Political Security Department (PA03) of Lam Dong Provincial Police. Because he was good at IT, he was "specially assigned" to the Department of Administrative Management of Social Order (PC06) to coordinate the implementation of Project 06, issuing citizen identification cards. During this period, he saw that there were too many documents to store and that they were easily lost, so in his spare time, he researched and wrote the software "12-digit citizen identification card archive in Lam Dong province" to store records. This work of his was recognized by the Ministry of Public Security as 1/70 typical works in 2020 - 2022.

Hunting for the person who faked the provincial leader's email to commit fraud

In July 2021, Captain Lam started working at Department PA05, Lam Dong Provincial Police. At that time, a number of subjects used the names and birth years of provincial leaders to create fake emails, then sent emails, text messages... to organizations and individuals inside and outside the province asking to transfer money to personal accounts for profit and property appropriation. Upon receiving the letter from the "provincial leader", many officials and businesses were confused and skeptical.

Giữ Tổ quốc bình yên: Chặn đứng tội phạm trên không gian mạng- Ảnh 3. — Fake email from Lam Dong province leader to defraud and appropriate property

The Lam Dong Provincial Police Department directed the PA05 Department to urgently verify and clarify the case, prevent impersonation and appropriation of assets of businesses, organizations and individuals. Captain Lam volunteered to take action. After researching, he brought technological solutions and even went to the field to identify the person impersonating the provincial leader. At that time, it was the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic, so it was impossible to travel between localities. However, if not prevented in time, it would leave bad consequences, affecting the reputation of the provincial leaders.

With great determination and high-tech professional measures, on September 25, 2021, Department PA05 of Lam Dong Provincial Police in coordination with Dong Nai Provincial Police identified the subject who committed the above act as Dang Thanh Tung (born in 1993, temporarily residing in Dong Nai). Department PA05 clarified that Tung also impersonated 24 leaders of the People's Committees of provinces and cities to defraud and appropriate property.

Giữ Tổ quốc bình yên: Chặn đứng tội phạm trên không gian mạng- Ảnh 4. — Dang Thanh Tung impersonated 24 leaders of provincial and municipal People's Committees to defraud and appropriate property.

Surprisingly, the person selling guns online is only 15 years old.

At the end of 2023, through understanding the situation on cyberspace, Lam Dong Provincial Police discovered the situation of buying and selling guns and ammunition on social networks. Lam was assigned to track down the person selling the guns. After getting involved, using professional measures, Captain Lam isolated and identified the subject selling guns in Bao Loc City (old). Through monitoring on social networks, knowing that on December 31, 2023 there was a gun sale, he reported to his superiors to coordinate with the Investigation Security Department (PA09) and Bao Loc City Police to organize an ambush to arrest the people buying and selling guns and ammunition.

Captain Lam recalled: "When we went to Bao Loc, we still did not know who the subject was, and traces were only left in the Bao Loc area. After 2 days and nights of persistent ambush, the forces caught the illegal gun trade red-handed at Nam Phuong Lake (Bao Loc City)."

The gun seller named L.Đ.H, 15 years old, from Loc Son Ward (old Bao Loc City), which surprised the detectives. The gun buyer named T. lived in Bao Loc City. Through investigation, H. stated that the gun purchase was transacted online, and the gun delivery did not take place at any fixed location. A week before, H. had sold another gun to a person in Taiwan, but a younger brother from Di Linh District (old) came to receive the gun; H. did not know the background of the gun buyer.

Detectives urgently searched for the gun buyer in Di Linh. Through the security camera system, they saw a suspicious man wearing a mask, driving a motorbike with the license plate covered. However, the police force tracked down the gun buyer on January 1, 2024. The gun buyer said that due to a conflict with a neighbor, he asked a relative in Taiwan to buy a gun online for self-defense. After agreeing on the price, H. made an appointment with this person to come to Bao Loc to receive the gun. Searching H.'s house, the authorities discovered many separate devices for assembling guns.

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Head of Department PA05, Lam Dong Provincial Police, commented: "Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam is a quick-witted cyber detective, good at professional skills and technology, so he was able to track down the subject very quickly. In addition, he proposed many technological solutions to identify law violators on cyberspace for timely handling."

Giữ Tổ quốc bình yên: Chặn đứng tội phạm trên không gian mạng- Ảnh 5. — Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Head of Department PA05, Lam Dong Provincial Police (left) discussed work with Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam about network security plans.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tien, Captain Lam is also the person who presides over and advises on the fight against crimes that violate national security. He directly advises and fights against two subjects, Duong Tuan Ngoc and Hoang Viet Khanh in Lam Ha District, Lam Dong (old), who use cyberspace to violate national security. He then coordinates with security agencies to investigate, arrest, prosecute and handle them in accordance with the law.

He also presided over and coordinated the handling of over 40 subjects who posted malicious and false information on cyberspace...; directly advised on building a people's security posture on cyberspace, advised on setting up fanpages to "green" information, propagate the Party and State's guidelines, policies and guidelines; warned about the plots and methods of criminals on cyberspace.

"Science and technology are developing very quickly. To prevent crimes in cyberspace, we must approach new technology, research, and explore to find the best solution," Captain Lam shared.

Captain Vo Le Thanh Lam presided over and advised on the application of information technology in public security work and advised, proposed, and programmed 7 software and solutions. Of which, he proposed 3 information technology solutions to serve the professional activities of the people's security force, which were recognized and commended by the inspection team of the Ministry of Public Security.

He was awarded two certificates of merit by the Minister of Public Security for his achievements in fighting crimes using cyberspace to violate national security.

Currently, Captain Lam is coordinating with Ho Chi Minh City Police to research a scientific topic on applying technology in crime prevention.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giu-to-quoc-binh-yen-chan-dung-toi-pham-tren-khong-gian-mang-185250830072839197.htm