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Sons, nephews, housekeepers, lovers - people no one would ever suspect - have shockingly turned into insiders in daring and scandalous robbery cases.
Unmasking family insiders
A recent case in which a son colluded with outsiders to stage a $2 million robbery from his own father has stirred public outrage.
The incident took place on March 10 at the residence of a wealthy businessman near the Moc Bai International Border Gate (Ben Cau District, Tay Ninh Province).
Upon receiving the report, the Tay Ninh Provincial Police launched an investigation and exposed the insider as Pham Ly Phuong, the victim’s own son. Aware that his father had just brought home more than $2 million, Phuong, driven by financial needs, conspired with a group to stage the robbery.
The robbers barged into the house, posing as police officers, and demanded that the businessman go to the station to explain the source of the large sum of money. Taking advantage of the confusion as the couple prepared to leave, the group snatched the handbag containing $2 million and fled.
Authorities have since apprehended Phuong and four accomplices, recovering the entire amount.
Daughters turning against their fathers
In October 2024, the Dong Thap Provincial Police shocked many when they uncovered a case of a daughter staging a fake kidnapping to extort money from her own father.
The investigation revealed that Ngo Thi Bich Tram (33) teamed up with Tran Minh Trung (27) and Nguyen Van Nha (32) to fake a debt of 5 billion VND (approximately $205,000) and stage her own abduction, using the setup to pressure her father, Mr. H., from Cao Lanh City, into paying the ransom.
Fearing for his daughter’s safety, Mr. H. reported the abduction to the police. Upon verification, the authorities discovered the entire scenario had been fabricated.
The suspects admitted that two months earlier, they had employed the same tactics to extort 495 million VND (around $20,250) from Mr. H., which they then divided among themselves.
Nephews and housekeepers turn to crime
At the beginning of 2021, the Long An Provincial Police uncovered a case in which a young man hired accomplices to stage a robbery against his own aunt.
On January 19, 2021, Ms. G. reported being attacked by two men on motorcycles who restrained her and stole two mobile phones worth approximately 50 million VND ($2,050).
During the investigation, authorities identified the culprits as Nguyen Van Thiet (1995), Doan Tan Thiep (1991), and Au Thanh My (1995), all residing in Tan Thanh District. Remarkably, My turned out to be Ms. G.'s nephew.
At the police station, My admitted to planning the robbery after noticing his aunt owned two expensive phones, hoping to sell them for personal gain.
The betrayal of trusted housekeepers
One of the most shocking insider betrayal cases occurred in 2022 when two housekeepers collaborated with family members to stage a robbery worth more than 2.5 billion VND ($101,000) at a mansion on Tran Binh Trong Street (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City).
The crime unfolded within 20 minutes on the evening of April 9, 2022, while only S. (born 2008) and two housekeepers - Le Thi Hong (1987) and Le Thi Du (1950) - were at home.
Two armed men broke in, using knives and hammers to subdue the victims, tying them up before forcing S. to unlock the second floor and rummage through cabinets to seize cash in both VND and USD.
Through investigation, police identified Hong and Du as co-conspirators alongside five others, including their relatives. Financial desperation driven by gambling debts led the housekeepers to plan the heist against their wealthy employers.
Many were stunned when the long-serving housekeeper, Du - who had worked for the family for nearly 30 years - was revealed to be part of the betrayal.
When lovers become conspirators
In March 2023, Binh Phuoc police exposed a case where a man plotted a fake love affair to steal from his girlfriend.
Pham Quoc Toan, while romantically involved with Hoang Thi Thanh Ngoc, was also seeing another woman. Looking for an excuse to break up with Ngoc, Toan staged a "jealousy scene" to justify stealing her valuables.
Toan arranged to meet the other woman at a motel, where Ngoc arrived to confront them, using the chaos to steal the victim's gold necklace, ring, expensive phone, and a substantial amount of cash.
Ly Dao
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