The suspects—Trần Anh Thiện (56), Nguyễn Văn Tâm (50), Nguyễn Văn Đức (39), and Lê Thanh Phong (27)—were caught red-handed at a coffee shop in Vị Thanh City on November 5. They were in the process of finalizing a deal with a woman from Hanoi, claiming to sell a meteorite for a large sum.
The group had fabricated the existence of a meteorite and, knowing that the victim was looking to purchase one, arranged a meeting to sign an agreement. The contract stipulated that the sale would take place on November 6 in Bạc Liêu City. If the seller failed to provide the meteorite or it was of inferior quality, they would return 1 billion VND (about 40,000 USD) to the buyer. However, if the buyer refused the purchase or didn’t pay the full amount, she would lose 200 million VND (about 8,000 USD).
The suspects used fake names during negotiations and agreements. After further investigation, police discovered that this group may be involved in similar scams in other regions. Authorities have temporarily detained the suspects for an investigation into their fraudulent activities.
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Source: Vietnam Insider