Suspect Phạm Thị Huyền Trang from her social media profile photo (left) and after her arrest in Bắc Ninh. — Photo courtesy of Bắc Ninh Police Department.

BẮC NINH — A Vietnamese woman has been unmasked as a key mastermind in a massive VNĐ1 trillion (US$40 million) scam network.

Phạm Thị Huyền Trang, 26, and in fluent Chinese, operated out of Cambodia and played a senior managerial role, training scammers, designing highly manipulative scripts, and coaching lower-ranking members to pose as police, tax officials and other authorities to steal money from thousands of Vietnamese victims.

The Bắc Ninh police recently cracked down on this sophisticated online fraud network, arresting nearly 60 individuals involved in orchestrating one of the most organised scam operations Việt Nam has seen.

Trang was one of five main ringleaders, alongside Nguyễn Văn Mạnh from Quảng Ninh, Đỗ Văn Nghĩa from Bắc Giang, Đinh Như Quỳnh from Phú Thọ and Nguyễn Đức Toàn from Hải Phòng.

Authorities revealed that Trang’s role was critical - she was responsible for crafting elaborate deception tactics that exploited people's deepest fears, such as identity fraud, school enrolments and government procedures.

Three out of five main ringleaders, from left to right: Phạm Thị Huyền Trang, Nguyễn Văn Mạnh, Đỗ Văn Nghĩa. Photo courtesy of Bắc Ninh Police Department.

Speaking to the VTV, Trang said: “Everyone has a weakness. Parents worry about their children. Business owners worry about paperwork. We knew exactly how to get into their heads.”

This high-tech fraud syndicate, based in Svay Rieng, Cambodia, functioned through a structured three-tiered operation, known internally as Cào 1, Cào 2 and Cào 3.

Cào 1 pretended to be local police, tax officers, or education officials, calling victims and convincing them their personal data needed urgent updates. Cào 2 persuaded victims to download fake government apps that secretly gave the scammers remote access to their phones. Cào 3 drained bank accounts by remotely accessing victims' phones and tricking them into approving transactions through facial recognition or fingerprint authentication.

Over 13,000 victims were scammed nationwide, with more than 300 victims in Bắc Ninh alone losing over VNĐ31 billion (US$1.24 million). Trang’s high-ranking position in the organisation earned her a staggering salary of VNĐ200 million (US$8,000) per month, an amount that shocked investigators given her young age.

The elaborate network came crashing down when police launched a major crackdown, deploying 43 task forces across border checkpoints and airports.

As the scammers attempted to fly home for Tết, thinking they had escaped justice, they were arrested the moment they stepped off the plane at Nội Bài Airport.

So far, police have identified 42 individuals for prosecution, with 38 already in custody. Authorities are now expanding the case to include money laundering, illegal migration, and international fraud charges.

This case serves as a wake-up call to Vietnamese citizens about the growing sophistication of online fraud. The police urge the public to be cautious about unsolicited calls from "officials" and never to install unknown apps on their devices.

As investigations continue, more arrests are expected - and justice for thousands of victims may finally be served. VNS