Vietnamese police arrest 56 people for fraud

Vietnamese police arrest 56 people for fraud

2011-05-14 21:14:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

HANOI, VIETNAM (BNO NEWS) -- Vietnamese police on Friday arrested 56 foreigners in Ho Chi Minh City on suspicion of cheating and hacking personal accounts of people in other countries, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

The suspects, identified only as Asian, asked Vietnamese residents to rent accommodations for them with Internet and phone services. According to police, they pretended to be post-office staff, calling customers in Asian countries to ask for payment of their phone bills.

They told their victims that their phone numbers had been hacked and suggested the victims contact related agencies for help. Then, posing as the agencies' officials, they asked the victims to transfer all of their money to another account with an agency for safety and investigation.

Police were yet to determine how much money the ring obtained. Investigations are still under way.

Since last year, Vietnamese police have arrested some 150 foreigners for the same reason. The ringleaders are believed to be based in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, while people in China and Taiwan are the main target.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-14