Dong Thap: Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and her accomplices defrauded a Chinese man of 280 million VND in wedding money by hiring someone to impersonate the bride.

Dong Thap Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, 43 years old, hired someone to impersonate the bride and bride's mother and borrowed the house to act as the "groom's house", defrauding a Chinese man of 280 million dong in wedding money.

On September 4, Thao was sentenced by the People's Court of Region 1, Dong Thap province to 9 years and 6 months in prison for fraudulent appropriation of property.

As an accomplice, Nguyen Hoang Anh Vu (40 years old, Thao's husband); Thach Trong; Nguyen Ngoc Thao (19 years old, living in Tan Hoa commune) and Nguyen Thi Hoang Oanh (44 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) received 7-8 years in prison.

Hire someone to pretend to be the bride or mother-in-law

According to the indictment, Thao used to work for a company and knew Chinese. Through introduction, she knew that Mr. Hao Liupeng, 38 years old, Chinese nationality, wanted to get married in Vietnam, so he came up with the idea of ​​appropriating money.

Thao used the fake name Huyen to contact, pretending to be a marriage broker.

Initially, she introduced the 18-year-old girl as her husband's stepdaughter, but Mr. Hao did not agree. Thao then contacted her acquaintance Thach Trong and asked to find someone to impersonate the bride.

Trong introduced his nephew Nguyen Ngoc Thao. Promised a payment of 5 million VND, the girl agreed. Thao continued to ask Nguyen Thi Hoang Oanh to pretend to be the bride's mother and promised to pay after the job was done.

This group also rented an acquaintance's house in Hoa Binh hamlet, Tan Hoa commune for 500,000 VND as a "bride's house".

On April 7, 2025, the group rented a car to go to Ho Chi Minh City to meet Mr. Hao. On the way, Ngoc Thao was asked to take the fake name Phu Dung, 25 years old.

After meeting "the bride's family" at a convenience store in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Hao agreed to marry.

Three days later, he went to the house in Tan Hoa commune to make his debut. Here, Thao said the bride's family had agreed to the marriage and asked the groom's family to give 70 million VND. After receiving the money, the "matchmaker" prepares an agreement for both parties to sign to create trust.

The next morning, the group took Mr. Hao back to Ho Chi Minh City. Thao pretended to take the bride to prepare personal papers for marriage procedures.

Received 280 million VND and left the groom and his son behind

Two days later, Thao and Mr. Hao returned to Viet Sing Industrial Park. Here, she continued to ask him for another 17.5 million VND before going to the airport to return to China.

On April 16, Thao requested an additional 17.5 million VND. Because he was in China, Mr. Hao asked an acquaintance in Vietnam to transfer the money.

Four days later, the group went to the airport to pick up Mr. Hao and his son and then took them to the old city of My Tho to prepare for the wedding.

On the way, Thao asked Mr. Hao to give another 175 million VND and two phones as gifts to his wife's family.

When arriving in My Tho City, Thao and her "bride" took Mr. Hao and his son to get a haircut. Taking advantage of the two people not paying attention, the two got in the car and left, simultaneously locking their SIM cards and turning off their phones.

According to the indictment, the total amount appropriated was 280 million VND. Thao gave Ngoc Thao 2 million VND and a phone, Oanh 4 million VND, Trong 4 million VND and paid 500,000 VND in rent. The remaining amount Thao and her husband spend on personal expenses.

After waiting forever and the bride's family did not come to pick her up, Mr. Hao and his father suspected they had been scammed so they went to the police to report.

On November 4, 2025, the whole group was discovered and arrested by the police.