On June 3, the Ministry of Public Security released an official alert concerning the practice of hiring Vietnamese citizens to open bank accounts and establish businesses as fronts for laundering money obtained through fraudulent activities.

According to the Ministry, Hanoi’s Department of Security Investigations has recently initiated a criminal case involving fraud and money laundering. One suspect has been prosecuted and temporarily detained for money laundering offenses.

The case was triggered when Hanoi police received a series of criminal complaints from citizens who reported being scammed online. The scams typically involved fake offers of gifts and missions requiring financial transactions through apps such as “TTlive,” “TikTok,” and “Tokspot.”

Authorities discovered that scammers impersonated staff from e-commerce platforms, supermarket chains, and other well-known brands. They would call victims to notify them of complimentary appreciation gifts.

Gradually, victims were enticed into performing online “tasks” to claim monetary rewards. After transferring significant sums of money across several stages, the system would report a technical error, and the funds would be fraudulently seized.

Through extensive investigation, Hanoi police identified a group of foreign nationals who had established companies and hired Vietnamese citizens to serve as legal representatives or directors. These individuals also opened local bank accounts to receive funds derived from scams, illegal gambling, and related activities.

The illicit funds were then converted into cryptocurrency, particularly USDT (Tether), and transferred into accounts controlled by the ringleaders.

In response to these developments, the Ministry of Public Security advises the public to safeguard their personal information and avoid sharing personal or banking details with strangers online.

The Ministry also urges citizens not to buy, lease, or lend their bank accounts, as doing so may facilitate criminal conduct such as fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.

"Individuals must fully understand and take full legal responsibility when accepting roles as legal representatives for companies, especially those managed by foreign nationals," the Ministry emphasized.

Furthermore, the Ministry cautions against engaging with messages or calls announcing prize winnings or invitations to join appreciation campaigns. People should refrain from transferring money, clicking on suspicious links, or downloading unverified applications.

If a scam is suspected, citizens are encouraged to promptly report the incident to their nearest police authority for support and investigation.

Dinh Hieu