The Police of the central province of Nghe An  has dismantled the largest transnational fraud case in Vietnam since the beginning of 2025, arresting nearly 100 suspects linked to a sophisticated criminal network accused of defrauding Vietnamese citizens of over VND2 trillion (about $76.6 million).

The gang operated through two “branches” based in Myanmar and the Philippines, structured similarly to corporate entities. According to initial investigations, its network comprised more than 300 individuals.

The suspects employed highly organized methods, with all members receiving extensive training before committing fraud.

A common tactic involved impersonating young, attractive women through fake social media profiles—primarily on Facebook—to target middle-aged men with stable jobs and attractive financial resources.

Once an online romantic relationship was established, victims were persuaded to shift communications to Viber for more “private conversations”, where they were gradually enticed into performing “reward-based tasks” on a fraudulent e-commerce platform created by the ring.

To facilitate operations, the suspects were typically transported to Myanmar or the Philippines via air travel or illegal border crossings. They either flew from Vietnam to Thailand and crossed into Myanmar illegally, or flew directly to the Philippines to integrate into the organized network.

Authorities have identified the two ringleaders, namely Phan Dinh Thinh (born 1995) and Le Thi Tra (born 1999), both residents of Hung Dao Commune, Hung Nguyen District, Nghe An Province.

The defendants have confessed to managing fraud teams involving hundreds of individuals, collectively carrying out systematic scams resulting in multi-trillion-VND losses to victims.

The Investigative Police Agency of Nghe An Province has officially launched criminal proceedings, filed charges against the defendants, and ordered their temporary detention on the charge of "Fraudulent Appropriation of Property" in accordance with Clause 4, Article 174 of the Penal Code.

An investigation is ongoing to identify and clarify the roles of other individuals involved, both domestically and internationally.