Dong Nai Police Crack Down on Transnational Fraud Ring Valued at 2,500 Billion VND

Local authorities in Dong Nai Province have successfully apprehended one of the largest scams, with a total stolen amount exceeding 2,500 billion VND. Not only is the scale enormous, but the sophisticated organization of the network is also remarkable, especially since the mastermind is a Vietnamese individual who invested in infrastructure and operated the system from Cambodia.

Vietnamese mastermind: A turning point in international scams

Nguyen Thi Van (born 1996) is identified as the leader of the entire ring. Unlike previous scams that were operated by foreign entities, she proactively established and managed the operation from Cambodia with the participation of 110 accomplices. To date, police have arrested 14 suspects (including 3 leaders and 11 accomplices), while 111 others have been identified and are being pursued nationwide.

Scam methods: From building trust to full theft

The scam follows a systematic process. The perpetrators pose as female international students, actively making friends and developing emotional connections with financially well-off men. After gaining their trust, they lure victims into “performing tasks” such as placing orders on fake e-commerce platforms like Ozon or Mercado.

Initially, victims are refunded small amounts to create a sense of security. However, as the deposited amounts increase, the perpetrators begin demanding additional fees under false pretenses such as “system errors,” “account upgrades,” or “profit unlocking.” Ultimately, all the victims’ money is stolen with no way to recover it.

Money laundering via crypto: A complex trace-erasing chain

A key aspect of this case is how the perpetrators handle the proceeds after the scam. The stolen funds are transferred through multiple intermediary bank accounts, then converted into USDT via entities in China. This model is called: fiat → intermediary account → stablecoin crypto → cross-border transfer. It is a common money laundering method recently, helping the perpetrators erase traces and make detection difficult.

Authorities have seized assets worth over 50 billion VND, including cars, land, gold, and nearly 300,000 USDT. However, most of the stolen money has not yet been fully recovered or traced.

Lessons and warnings from this case

Three key points can be learned from this incident:

First, crypto is not the root cause of scams, but it is exploited as a transfer tool due to its borderless nature and fast transaction speed. When money is in the hands of perpetrators in the form of USDT, recovery chances are almost zero.

Second, models like “performing tasks to earn online,” “placing orders for refunds,” or “high-yield investments” are almost 100% traps if they require upfront deposits. Each step of increasing money is a warning sign.

Third, psychological factors—building emotional bonds and trust—remain the most dangerous weapons for these rings. Not everyone who befriends you online is genuine, especially when they propose participating in money-making activities.

The maturity of the crypto market does not prevent more sophisticated scammers from emerging. But once again, this case reminds us that extraordinary high profits always come with significant risks, and once money is transferred via USDT or any other token, the chances of tracing and recovery are extremely low if stolen. Share this information to help others avoid similar traps.