Vietnam arrests Phung Xuan Duong for illegal sale of 50 million personal data records

Vietnam’s Nghệ An police arrested Phung Xuan Duong, a 1980‑born resident of Sông Lô, Phú Thọ, identified as the leader of a network that illegally harvested and sold more than 50 million personal data records nationwide. The investigation, conducted by the province’s cyber‑security and high‑tech crime unit, seized over 72 GB of data, two CPUs, laptops and four mobile phones, and uncovered profits exceeding VND 1 billion. Duong and an associate, N.V.D. (born 2005), were detained on 23 June 2026 after using Telegram groups, crypto wallets and non‑registered bank accounts to conduct the trade, which also involved data on officials, business leaders and foreign entities. On 7 July 2026 prosecutors formally charged Duong with illegal data trafficking, and the case remains under investigation.

The operation highlights the growing scale of cyber‑crime in Vietnam, with authorities emphasizing the need for stronger safeguards against mass personal data breaches and the illicit market that fuels fraud and privacy violations.