Vietnam police arrest 16 suspects in Free Fire fraud and phone‑seizure scheme

On 17 June, the Criminal Police Department of Ninh Bình province announced the dismantling of two organized groups that used the popular online game Free Fire to lure victims into “cày thuê” (paid‑play) arrangements. The suspects, led by Trần Văn Tâm (born 2001) and Mai Tiến Giáp (born 2006), rented apartments in Hanoi, directed members to gain control of victims’ high‑end iPhones via iCloud credentials, locked the devices and extorted victims for tens of billions of đồng.

Separately, on 19 June, Hưng Yên police filed an indictment against Trần Xuân Trung (born 1996) for fraudulently selling a Free Fire account. After receiving a VND 3 million payment, he blocked the buyer and kept the money. The case was investigated following a victim’s report that the seller used a personal Facebook account to market game accounts.

Both investigations highlight a growing pattern of online‑gaming scams in Vietnam, where fraudsters exploit popular mobile games and digital platforms to steal personal data and money.