Vietnam police crack down on cross‑border bank data theft scheme

Vietnamese police have uncovered a high‑tech crime network that recruits workers through social‑media job ads, has them open bank accounts in Vietnam and then transports them to Cambodia. The perpetrators collect biometric data and passport information, use the data to bypass facial‑recognition security and conduct unauthorized online transfers. Victims are later returned to Vietnam after their accounts are blocked.

In Thanh Hóa province, investigators identified illegal collection, storage, exchange and sale of bank‑account information belonging to dozens of individuals across several commercial banks, including VPBank, PGBank, ACB, Bac A Bank and Nam A Bank. A public notice urged anyone linked to the listed accounts to report to the police. Offenders face fines up to 250 million VND and possible criminal prosecution.