On October 23, Hanoi police said the Investigation Police Agency had prosecuted 10 people linked to a large network producing and selling fake diplomas and certificates nationwide.
Eight suspects, Hoang Van Dat, Tran Anh Hao, Hoang Van Dung, Nguyen Van Tinh, Do Van Hung, Hoang Quoc Lap, Hoang Minh Tuong and Hoang Van Nam, were placed in temporary detention.
The two other suspects, Do Hanh Dung and Tran Thi Thoa, were barred from leaving their places of residence. The two women, aged 47 and 41, are university lecturers; one lives in Hanoi and the other in Quang Ninh province.
Police said that at the beginning of 2024, Hoang Van Dat and Tran Anh Hao, both residents of Ho Chi Minh City, agreed to invest in color printers, seal-making and embossing machines, photocopiers, computers and hundreds of fake seals from government agencies, schools, colleges, universities and notary offices. The equipment was used to produce fake documents.
The network advertised and sold diplomas and certificates through several Facebook accounts, the page "Hỗ trợ việc làm" and the websites bangcapchungchigiare.com, lamchungchicacloai.com, bangcacloai.com and lambangcapgiarenhat.com. Each document cost between 1 million and 2 million dong.
Dat and Hao hired Hoang Van Dung for 6 million dong per month. He cut blanks, laminated them, applied seals and handed fake documents to couriers.
To avoid detection, the organizers created a delivery network across several provinces and cities. Do Van Hung, Nguyen Van Tinh, who worked as a Nhất Tín courier, Hoang Van Nam, Hoang Minh Tuong and Hoang Quoc Lap delivered the documents to customers. Couriers received between 100,000 and 300,000 dong for each order.
Investigators determined that Dat and Hao had also contacted the two university lecturers to supply and produce diplomas and certificates at students' request.
After police determined that the network was an organized criminal group operating nationwide, the Cybersecurity Division reported to the Hanoi police chief, who authorized a special investigation.
On September 24, the Cybersecurity Division and the Criminal Police Division deployed 60 officers in four teams to simultaneously summon and arrest suspects in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Lang Son and Quang Ninh.
During emergency searches, authorities seized hundreds of seals, diploma blanks and equipment used to forge documents.
Police also identified 20 people who bought and used fake documents and seized 54 fake documents of various types.
Preliminary figures show that from 2024 to the present, the network produced and sold nearly 1,500 fake diplomas and certificates, earning about 3 billion dong in illicit proceeds.
During the investigation, Hanoi police found that several private kindergartens had used fake diplomas and certificates to complete the files of staff members who lacked professional qualifications and full training.
Police said that employing staff without confirmed professional qualifications in educational institutions creates safety risks and could lead to violence against children.
Hanoi police urged agencies, businesses and educational institutions to tighten document checks and verify diplomas and certificates when hiring. Residents were urged not to take part in buying, selling or using fake documents.
Sources: Dân Trí
