Quach Thi Thu and her younger sister Quach Thi Thu Hang at the police station
Quach Thi Thu, 27, and her younger sister Quach Thi Thu Hang, 24, are being prosecuted for fraud, authorities announced on Tuesday.
According to investigators, the sisters, who reside in Thanh Hoa and Bac Ninh provinces, posed as hotel agents by creating fake Facebook pages mimicking well-known accommodation providers. Using their prior experience as travel booking intermediaries, the two women exploited the online booking habits and trust in branded lodging options.
Starting in late 2023, they began purchasing Facebook pages with high engagement, renaming them after popular hotels and homestays such as White Cloud Sapa Homestay, Eco Nghi Son Island, and The Kupid Da Lat. They used the pages to run ads and post listings, luring unsuspecting customers into booking rooms.
Some of the fake hotel pages that Thu and Hang operate to treat customers.
Victims were instructed to make a 50 per cent deposit to bank accounts that were not registered under the sisters’ real names. After receiving the money, the scammers would immediately block further contact and delete the fake page, only to create new ones and repeat the scheme.
In just over a year, the pair utilised 18 bank accounts, dozens of SIM cards, and multiple fake fan pages to operate the scam. The total amount defrauded is estimated at more than VND 2 billion (approximately USD 78,000).
After detecting suspicious activity from a cluster of fake pages targeting the Sapa area, Lao Cai police launched an investigation. On July 9, 2025, officers simultaneously searched multiple locations and summoned 15 individuals for questioning. Authorities seized seven mobile phones, 14 used SIM cards, VND 150 million (approximately USD 5,800) in cash, 11 gold-coloured rings, and various documents and digital records for further analysis.
During questioning, both sisters admitted to carrying out the scam between late 2023 and February 2025.
The case is ongoing as police continue to investigate the roles of other individuals involved in the scheme.
