On July 23, the Criminal Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police charged and remanded in custody Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas, born in 1986; Pardo Oscar Winkler, born in 1950; De Vera Diosdado, born in 1960; Pardo Maria Lanie, born in 1975; Villarin Bregida, born in 1967; and Bernardino Rolando Lim, born in 1975, all Philippine nationals, on charges of fraud and appropriation of property.
Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas, far left, and the other suspects after their arrest (Photo: Nguyen Trang).
Earlier, local authorities detected a group of foreigners who frequently approached tourists amid signs of suspected fraud.
Following instructions from the leadership of Ho Chi Minh City Police, the units carried out verification, tracking and evidence gathering to clarify the group's methods and operations.
Police said the suspects typically approached foreign tourists, mainly elderly people travelling alone. After gaining their trust, they lured the victims to a pre-arranged location.
There, some suspects posed as casual acquaintances and suggested a card game, while another pretended to be a wealthy player joining in. The ringleader then dealt the cards directly, arranging matters so that the victim kept winning.
Once the victim had taken the bait, the losing players feigned frustration and proposed raising the stakes to win their money back. They used fake spirit money denominated in US dollars as if it were valuable assets, leading the victim to believe they had the means to settle larger bets.
The suspects then claimed the victim needed to prove their financial capacity and asked them to withdraw cash and bring it back to the gambling venue. When the victim became distracted or let down their guard, the group swiftly stole all the money and fled.
Authorities identified Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas as the mastermind who directly ran the operation, assigned roles and distributed the proceeds after each scam. The others acted as accomplices.
From May 2025 until they were discovered, the group successfully carried out 18 scams, stealing about USD 10,000, from multiple foreign tourists. Of the total amount taken, those who directly approached and lured victims received 20 per cent, the fake card players received 5 per cent, and Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas received 10 per cent.
