Truong Thi Ngoc Thuong, a 45-year-old resident of Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province, has been detained by the Ninh Thuan Provincial Police for attempting to pawn fake gold. Thuong was caught in the act during her 21st attempt at a jewelry store in Phan Rang-Thap Cham City.

On March 28, Thuong rode her motorbike to a gold shop on Thong Nhat Street, carrying a gold chain to pawn for cash. However, upon inspection, the store staff discovered that the chain was counterfeit.

At the time of the incident, police officers from Dao Long Ward were present at the shop to complete an electronic identification process for the owner and immediately apprehended Thuong. They documented the case and collected evidence.

Sophisticated scam method revealed

During questioning at the police station, Thuong admitted that she had repeatedly purchased fake gold chains and replaced the clasp with genuine gold. She took advantage of the common practice at jewelry shops, where staff only inspected the clasp when verifying authenticity.

Using this deceptive method, Thuong successfully pawned fake gold 20 times at various jewelry stores, obtaining a total of more than 200 million VND (around 8,500 USD).

Police have confiscated 20 fake gold chains as evidence and are continuing their investigation.

Xuan Ngoc