In connection with the arrest of nearly 60 individuals who embezzled nearly 1,000 billion dong from over 13,000 victims nationwide, the initial investigation by the Security Investigation Agency of Bắc Ninh Province Police has clarified that there are 42 individuals with sufficient evidence to initiate criminal proceedings, among which 38 individuals have been temporarily detained for fraud and property appropriation; the investigation is ongoing to expand the case regarding crimes such as money laundering and organizing illegal residence abroad, as well as to capture related individuals.
This group operates in the Tam Thái Tử area, Bà Vẹt City, Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia, using tactics of impersonating local police, district police, tax officials, electricity officials, and education officials to call victims, demanding they update their citizen identification information, submit online enrollment documents, undergo health checks, declare taxes, etc., subsequently taking control of their phones and appropriating money from their bank accounts.
To create a closed-loop system for successful scams, the managing members are divided into 3 groups: Cào 1, Cào 2, Cào 3, each assigned specific tasks.
According to Tuổi Trẻ newspaper, suspect Đỗ Văn Nghĩa (25 years old, from Bắc Giang) reported that Cào 1 would impersonate district police officials and call victims to ask them to go to the district police station to update their information.
Next, Cào 2 would instruct citizens to enter links containing malware to install impersonation applications, thereby gaining access to log into the victims’ bank accounts.
Subsequently, Cào 3 would step in, collaborating with Cào 2 to withdraw money from citizens.
As one of the individuals in the scam ring, Phạm Thị Huyền Trang has caused many to be shocked and outraged as she is only 26 years old yet has already become a senior manager, fluent in foreign languages, articulate, and intelligent. Trang is responsible for developing scam scripts and training Cào 1, Cào 2, and Cào 3.
VTV reported that immediately after her arrest, Phạm Thị Huyền Trang recounted her tactics in front of the camera: “After joining the company, the boss found my way of expression satisfactory. The boss rewrote the script according to his intent, and I translated it closely… The script includes many details that align with the psychology of the people.”
Currently, the case is still being actively investigated by the authorities to clarify further details.