(TAP) - In early July 2025, nearly 200 officers from the Dien Bien Provincial Police (Vietnam), in coordination with units from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the Lao police, successfully dismantled a transnational high-tech fraud ring operating in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (Bokeo Province, Laos). Hoang Van Trung, 31 years old, identified as the ringleader, was arrested.
According to the official portal of the Dien Bien Provincial Police, in February 2025, local authorities detected suspicious activity in cyberspace related to enticing users to invest in unclear financial platforms. Unusual transactions and data transmissions from abroad to Vietnam via social media applications such as Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok were placed under special surveillance by the digital task force. Based on initial evidence, Case 625T was launched under the direct command of Colonel Vu Tien Dung, Director of the Dien Bien Provincial Police. Through in-depth professional measures, investigators identified that the suspects were operating in the Golden Triangle area.
Through the investigation, the Dien Bien Provincial Police identified Hoang Van Trung, born in 1994 and residing in Quang Hoa District, Cao Bang Province, as the ringleader of the network. To carry out the scam, Trung collaborated with several foreign nationals to set up a fake virtual gold trading platform called “ATFX,” impersonating legitimate international investment platforms to defraud hundreds of victims across various countries, including Vietnam. The group created the illusion of a modern, high-profit investment environment, using images of success and luxury to approach and lure victims via social media platforms.
Hoang Van Trung – the “ringleader” of the transnational fraud network. Source: Official Portal of the Dien Bien Provincial Police
Police further reported that the suspects built romantic or trusted friendships with their victims. Once trust was established, they lured the victims into a spiral of investment, promising extraordinarily high returns — up to 24% per day. When victims attempted to withdraw their money, the scammers began using delaying tactics such as claiming technical errors, account verification procedures, or the need for additional identification. This operation demonstrated a highly sophisticated and organized scheme, with a pre-planned script resembling a tech start-up business model.
On July 5th, the Dien Bien Provincial Police, in coordination with the Lao police and related security forces, conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations across Laos. A total of 74 suspects were arrested, including 59 Vietnamese and 15 Chinese nationals. Seized evidence at the scenes included 314 mobile phones, 292 All-in-One PCs, 36 desktop computers, 1,000 Lao SIM cards, 2 large boxes of documents containing fraud scripts, 13 passports, and a large amount of cash.
The suspects were brought back to Vietnam through the Tay Trang border gate to assist in the investigation. On July 9th, the Dien Bien Provincial Police Investigation Agency issued a decision to prosecute the criminal case and charged 38 defendants with the crime of “Fraudulent appropriation of property,” with Trung acting as the mastermind, organizing and managing the entire network. Under the current penalty framework, this offense can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The suspects were extradited from Laos to Vietnam by the Dien Bien Provincial Police. Source: Official Portal of the Dien Bien Provincial Police
Phương Anh