Vietnamese authorities have arrested and indicted two Malaysian men for using fake credit cards in Ha Noi, allegedly swindling over US$20,000 through their shopping sprees late last year.
Tan Wei Hong, 24, and Cham Tack Chol, 23 were caught red-handed by local police with the fake cards on December 21 while shopping at the Louis Vuitton shop, a luxury fashion and leather goods store located inside the 5-star Hotel Sofitel Metropole on 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem district.
Hong used a fake MasterCard to buy leather products worth $1,340 while Choi paid nearly $5,000 through a bogus Visa, an American Express and another credit card.
Police confiscated 5 MasterCards, 3 Visas, and two American Expresses from Hong and 13 cards from Choi.
Hong confessed to Vietnamese police he received 10 counterfeit cards from a Singaporean friend named Tong while Choi said a Malaysian man called Janny gave him the cards for free but demanded a commission every time Choi used them.
Hong had used a fake credit card at the Louis Vuitton store earlier on December 12. This was later found out and a shop manager called the police when they returned.
The Supreme People’s Court in Ha Noi has ratified theft charges against the two, which could land them up to 12 years each in prison under Vietnamese laws.
