HCM City police arrested a man who was involved in a ring that cheated many users through "phone services", earning billions of VND.

Bui Van Hieu, 27, from  Tra Vinh Province,  was arrested based on the results of an investigation in April, Hieu had four bank cards under different names at separate banks. He allegedly gave the cards to a ring of undisclosed foreigners who conducted schemes to swindle money from phone subscribers.

Bui Van Hieu arrested

One of the victims was a 43-year-old man from Tan Phu District in HCM City. On April 16, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the customer service department of his provider. They informed him that he owed nearly VND9 million in mobile service fees. They claimed that it was connected to a money laundering case in Hanoi and even threatened to turn him over to police if he did not cooperate.

Someone also called him, pretending to represent the Hanoi Police Department, requesting him to send VND600 million to a Sacombank account. After the money was transferred, he did not hear from them again.

Several other victims were also swindled by the same scheme.

Recently, the HCM City’s Investigation Police Offices for Economic Management Order and Title Offences arrested several other offenders for operating trans-national mobile swindling rings.

An anonymous official from the police unit said that it is not police procedure to inform the subject of an investigation into money laundering, especially by phone, and that, even if that were to occur, there would not be a request for a money transfer.

“Police are required to summon a suspect by official notice through the mail, and all investigations are conducted by police,” he noted.

He recommended that people call the police if they receive suspicious calls asking for money.