Tập đoàn lừa đảo giăng bẫy 7.000 người già

Tran Quang Dao set up many companies, directed his subordinates to pretend to be medical care workers, deceived and donated health products to 7,000 elderly people, appropriating 39 billion VND in a few months.

On November 20, the behavior of Dao and 141 other people stated in the investigation conclusion of the Ministry of Public Security has just been completed, proposing prosecution for the crime of fraudulently appropriating property and illegally giving or using information on computer networks and telecommunications networks.

The Ministry of Public Security determined that most of the victims in the case were elderly, low-income, dependent on pensions, savings, family benefits, etc. want health care but lack social and technological knowledge. The total amount of money appropriated by the Dao group reached hundreds of billions of VND, becoming the largest fraud line ever dismantled.

The number of victims is up to hundreds of thousands, but within the scope of this case, only 7,000 people have been identified.

Trần Quang Đạo - the suspected ringleader. Photo: Provided by the police

Portrait of the 'boss' of the fraud syndicate

From 2010 to 2012, Đạo studied at the College program of Ho Chi Minh City University of Finance and Banking but dropped out and switched to various other jobs. He previously worked at units organizing gratitude programs, lottery draws, and prize announcements, so he was well aware of how they operated.

According to the investigation's conclusion, from this experience, Đạo came up with the idea of impersonating companies running gratitude programs to trick victims into receiving "free" gifts. People who were informed that they had won had to pay shipping fees significantly higher than the product’s value, or after sending the money, they would lose contact.

In early 2023, Đạo asked his mother, relatives, and friends to register four legal entities including Ressun Trading and Service Co., Ltd., Resshose TikTok Shop, Rees Mark Co., Ltd., and Lesson Trading and Service Co., Ltd. He recruited many people into management and direct operational positions.

At businesses, this group recruits hundreds of employees to be in charge of building scenarios (textbooks), buying information data and training on how to make phone calls to deceive customers. The "prey" is mainly the elderly, who regularly use dietary supplements. The staff of the sales department used a phone system with an encrypted number issued by the network operator, making it impossible for the victim to call back. They claim to be employees of the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Hospital, the Vaccination Center... and announced that the listener was a "lucky customer" who was given 12 months of using bird's nest water, a box of 6 bottles per month. According to the scenario, the recipient only has to pay 279,000 VND for the first time, on the grounds that this is the revenue of the delivery unit, not the hospital or the company; the following months do not incur fees. When the victim agreed, the staff told her to pay attention to the phone to receive a call to confirm the address.

After that, the team fills out the form and sends it to the customer service department to enter into the system, so the warehouse department can pack the products. Each box of bird's nest drink contains 6 jars, purchased by the company for 79,000 VND, with a raffle code attached before being handed over to the shipping unit. Upon receiving the goods and the raffle slip, the victim pays the fee as previously notified.

'Trapped' by increasingly valuable gifts

Right after the victim received the first box of bird's nest, the group continued to pose as company staff responsible for prize codes and accompanying gifts. They informed the recipient that they were eligible to participate in a prize draw with prizes worth 10 to 100 million VND, such as massage chairs, refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines. To participate, the victim had to provide additional information and 'pay a fee' for processing, ranging from 730,000 to 990,000 VND. The company also promised to give additional low-value items like oolong tea or hair dryers (100,000–200,000 VND) and guaranteed a 100% refund of the fee if the gift had not been used, or 80% if it had. When the victim agreed, the staff prepared an application, sent it to the customer service department for entry into the CRM system and packaging by the warehouse; then handed it over to the delivery unit. The recipient paid the processing fee to the delivery staff.

About 2-3 days after completing the "prize entry form," the group continued to impersonate company employees, informing the victims that they had won a prize. To receive the prize, they asked the victims to pay an additional fee of 1 to 3 million VND for processing the warehouse release paperwork. The listener received an accompanying product worth around 300,000 VND and was promised a full refund of the fee if the gift had not been used, or 80% if it had been used.

The process of submitting applications, entering the system, warehouse packaging, and delivery was repeated as before, with the victim paying the new fee to the delivery staff.

Using this method, the Dao group continuously created new reasons and offered "gifts" of greater value to persuade the victims to transfer money. Only when the victims realized they had been scammed or could no longer pay did the calls stop.

Four companies of Trần Quang Đạo were raided. Photo: Ministry of Public Security

The investigation agency determined that Đạo and his accomplices embezzled hundreds of billions of dong from tens of thousands of victims using this method. In mid-2024, when inspected, he ordered the deletion of data and the destruction of all evidence.

According to the remaining data at the four companies, in just nearly three months (from March 1 to June 17), the group embezzled nearly 40 billion dong from about 7,000 people. Đạo was also accused of using 2.1 billion dong to illegally buy, sell, and exploit over 1.1 billion personal information records.

In mid-June, C02, in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City Police, carried out multiple operations to simultaneously arrest and raid the four company headquarters and the warehouses of Đạo’s group. The investigation agency seized 65 laptops, 21 computers, 301 desktop and mobile phones, 460 million dong, cars, along with many products and documents related to the fraud activities.

For the bird's nest products used during the commission of the crime, the Ministry of Public Security, in coordination with the police of Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa, collected samples and requested forensic examination. Since the results are not yet available, the authorities have not proposed any measures for this part.