Two Vietnamese fall victim to Chinese-related phone trick

Two Vietnamese fall victim to Chinese-related phone trick

Two Vietnamese citizens whose children are living abroad have lost US$11,590 to a Chinese national after strangers called them from overseas demanding $42,800, saying their kids were in jeopardy.

Vietnamese police have identified a Chinese man as the beneficiary of US$11,590 transferred from Vietnam to an overseas account in two cases of swindling whose victims were two Hanoi residents.

The victims, whose children live abroad, were phoned by strangers from overseas demanding $42,800 which they claimed would be used to settle the kids’ debt.

The police said the holder of the account to which the money had been credited to is Dai Jia Hui, who lives in Baiyun District of the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

All the transfers have been withdrawn from ATMs in China, they added.

The police tracked the man after they received reports from two Vietnamese that an unknown person called them from abroad to ask for debt payments for their children.

Dang Huy T., who lives in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District, reported to local police that he received an overseas phone call on March 14 in which the caller said his son, now living in Germany, owed someone VND700 million ($33,300).

The caller warned that T.’s son had been kidnapped and would be killed if he failed to repay the debt as soon as possible.

After negotiations, the two sides agreed that T. would pay VND300 million ($14,300) in advance by bank transfer to an overseas account.

T. came to his bank later and the stranger called him again, asking T. to let him to talk to the bank staff about how to make the transfer.

However, T. decided to transfer only VND44 million ($2,090) since he sensed some dishonesty.

After transferring the money, T. phoned his relatives in Germany and was told that his son was safe and was not indebted to anyone.

Like T., Pham Thi Tuyet H., also of Cau Giay District, was called by an unknown person who warned that her indebted son in Japan would face danger if she failed to pay his debt.

After transferring VND200 million ($9,500) to an account abroad under the instruction of the stranger, H. called her relatives in Japan and knew that she had been cheated.

According to the police, Dai Jia Hui had often traveled between China and Vietnam, mainly via the Mong Cai border gate in the northern province Quang Ninh, before cheating these people.

They are continuing their investigation.

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