Hanoi, Jan 7: Vietnamese authorities have dismantled a large-scale online fraud and illegal gambling network, arresting 35 suspects in coordinated raids across the country’s north, police said.
Investigators estimate the group cheated victims out of about US$350 million (around S$448 million) through online scams linked to illegal gambling operations. The arrests were made on December 31 in five northern localities, including the capital Hanoi, following a months-long investigation led by police in Hung Yen province.
According to police, the suspects exploited social media platforms to advertise goods for sale that were never delivered. Once payments were made, the accounts used to promote the products were deleted to avoid identification. The illicit proceeds were then transferred into online gambling accounts, a tactic investigators say was intended to obscure the origin of the funds and evade detection.
During the operation, authorities seized five vehicles and 42 mobile phones, and froze 125 bank accounts at 16 financial institutions believed to be connected to the scheme.
In a statement issued on January 6, police said the suspects had relied on advanced technology to conduct both the fraud and the associated gambling activities.
The case comes amid a wider crackdown on cyber-enabled crime in Vietnam. In a related operation in mid-December, police in Lang Son province, working with Cambodian authorities, arrested 22 Vietnamese nationals in Cambodia on similar fraud charges, underscoring growing regional cooperation to combat cross-border online scams.
