Elon Musk’s X Platform Sues Eight Vietnamese for Alleged Large-Scale Click Fraud

A lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has ignited global attention after accusing eight individuals in Hanoi, Vietnam, of running a sophisticated click fraud scheme to exploit the platform’s revenue-sharing program.

According to The Independent, the lawsuit—recently submitted to U.S. authorities—alleges that the group operated a coordinated network of fake accounts designed to manipulate X’s monetization system. This program, championed by Musk, enables users to earn money based on engagement with their posts.

The accused allegedly exploited technical loopholes by using stolen identities to create numerous fake accounts and deployed automation software to generate AI-created content. These accounts would then interact with one another to simulate viral engagement, effectively bypassing X’s content moderation algorithms.

The individuals named in the lawsuit include Le Dinh Chung, Nguyen Nhu Duc, Do Viet Khanh, Nguyen Viet Kieu, Do Xuan Long, Do Minh Thang, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, and Phan Ngoc Tuan. They are accused of orchestrating an organized operation to game the system for financial gain.

Le Dinh Chung, Nguyen Nhu Duc, Do Viet Khanh, Nguyen Viet Kieu, Do Xuan Long, Do Minh Thang, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, and Phan Ngoc Tuan

X’s legal filing reveals that profits from this fraudulent activity were funneled through at least 125 U.S.-based bank accounts opened under false identities. Funds were then transferred to Vietnam via nine domestic banks, in over 1,700 transactions using real names.

Beyond manipulating the platform’s payment system, the group is also accused of commercializing their fraud techniques. They reportedly sold software, automation tools, and even online courses teaching others how to replicate the scam. Some of their YouTube tutorial videos featured X and Twitter logos, raising concerns about brand infringement.

“Automating interactions among accounts within a controlled network mirrors the way financial fraudsters fabricate trades to collect bogus commissions,” the lawsuit stated, emphasizing the complexity of the scheme.

X traced the operation using data from third-party payment platforms like PingPong and Payoneer, which helped link digital footprints to real-world identities and addresses.

This case highlights growing concerns about the vulnerability of online monetization platforms to fraud, especially when technical manipulation can be executed with just lines of code. While X has yet to issue an official statement, experts view this legal action as a potential first step in Elon Musk’s broader crackdown on abuse and exploitation of the platform’s revenue features.

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Source: Vietnam Insider