Tran Phuoc Vinh and Truong Van Tho at the police station. Photo by Lam Dong Police Department.
Police in Lam Dong Province have launched criminal proceedings against Tran Phuoc Vinh, 25, from Hue City, and Truong Van Tho, 24, from Lam Dong, for allegedly committing online fraud against Vietnamese nationals living abroad.
According to investigators, Vinh and Tho created numerous fake Facebook accounts since May 2025 using doctored images that resemble official banking platforms.
Posing as financial consultants, they promoted fast loans with low interest rates on social media.
The suspects operated multiple fake fan pages, designed to resemble legitimate banks or financial institutions, to gain the trust of their victims.
When individuals contacted them to inquire about loans, the duo communicated in a highly professional manner, impersonating bank staff. They then requested that victims transfer various upfront loan insurance fees, tax declaration fees, or even the first month’s principal and interest to intermediary bank accounts, which the suspects controlled.
Police said the pair swindled around VND 1 billion (approximately USD 39,300) within just two months. Most of the victims were Vietnamese expatriates and international students living in Australia and the United States.
Several victims eventually realised the scam and reported the incidents through diplomatic channels and social media platforms.
In June, the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division, in coordination with Lam Dong’s Criminal Police Department and Lam Vien Ward police in Da Lat City, arrested the two suspects. Authorities also searched their residences and seized electronic devices, storage media, and other related evidence.
Lam Dong police are now working closely with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City, and other international partners to trace the flow of funds, identify additional victims, and investigate whether the scam was part of a larger transnational fraud network.
