Đào Thanh Tâm, 44, from HCM City, went to the Lắk District's People’s Committee in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk at the beginning of this month to ask for approval for a construction project in the district.

At the People’s Committee, Tâm claimed she was Colonel Hà Phương Tường Vân, acting director of the Police Intelligence Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

Unfortunately for Tâm, Colonel Lê Văn Tuyến, director of the Đắk Lắk Province Police visited the district People’s Committee that day.

After speaking with Tâm, Tuyến said she was impersonating his colleague and launched an investigation.

Worse still for the con woman, police found out that this was far from Tâm's first rodeo.

A year ago, Tâm met Trần Thị Cúc, who lived in Buôn Ma Thuột City. Tâm told Cúc that she was an official of the Ministry of Public Security.

Cúc asked Tâm to help her claim VNĐ5 billion (US$217,300) back which her son had lost to a swindler.

Tâm agreed to help if Cúc paid her VNĐ300 million ($13,000).

However, after receiving the money, Tâm refused to do anything to help Cúc. Cúc sent a denunciation letter to police.

When being discovered, Tâm admitted to police that she had spent all of the money.

It just goes to show that the truth will always out and maybe end up putting a liar in jail. — VNS