Hoàng Thùy Linh, 28, who is accused of running a cross-border scam ring involving more than 155 Vietnamese nationals in Laos, at the investigation office. — Photo courtesy of the police

HCM CITY — Vietnamese police have arrested a 28-year-old woman accused of running a cross-border criminal network involving more than 155 Vietnamese nationals in Laos’s Golden Triangle, authorities said on Wednesday.

Hoàng Thùy Linh, from Thái Nguyên Province, was arrested in cooperation with Lao authorities under a special wanted order, Hà Tĩnh provincial police said. She faces allegations related to human trafficking and property fraud.

Police said Linh organised and led the network from the Golden Triangle special economic zone in Bokeo province, Laos, beginning in 2023.

The group allegedly used fake Facebook accounts to target people in Việt Nam, posing as wealthy businesspeople and successful professionals.

Members posted photographs showing luxury lifestyles, travel, business activities and parties to build credibility with potential victims, police said.

After several days of online conversations, members allegedly developed romantic relationships with victims before persuading them to invest money in an online application called OYO, promising high returns.

The suspects allegedly exploited victims' trust and desire for quick profits to gradually obtain their money, with the operation divided into multiple teams responsible for different stages of the scheme.

Police said the network was also linked to human trafficking activities in the Golden Triangle, an area known for cross-border crime.

In August 2024, Hà Tĩnh police, working with the Ministry of Public Security and Lao authorities, raided a high-rise building in the Golden Triangle and detained 155 Vietnamese people allegedly involved in the operation.

Linh subsequently fled and was placed on a special wanted list, police said.

At the time, investigators alleged that the network had operated for more than a year and defrauded tens of thousands of victims in Việt Nam, with losses running into hundreds of billions of Vietnamese đồng.

On average, each suspect was alleged to have defrauded more than 200 victims, while the largest reported individual loss was around VNĐ5 billion (US$190,000), according to investigators.

The case remains under investigation, police said. — VNS