VietNamNet Bridge – A Bulgarian citizen - Stoyanoy Yuliyan Georgiev – was arrested while using fake ATM cards to withdraw money in HCM City. Searching the suspect's room, the police seized a suitcase full of Vietnamese banknotes.

The suspect.

At 9pm on March 9, guards of the ACB Bank ambushed and caught in the act Stoyanoy Yuliyan Georgiev, 29, using fake ATM cards to withdraw money at an ATM on Do Quang Dau Street, Pham Ngu Lao ward, District 1.

The case was later transferred to the police for further investigation.

Searching the suspect’s room at the Legend Hotel, District 1, the police seized VND55 million ($2,500) in cash, 55 credit cards, 240 cards of all types and especially one suitcase of Vietnamese banknotes.

Stoyanoy Yuliyan Georgiev declared that a man named Ivan Ivanov (Bulgarian nationality) guided and gave him faked ATM cards to withdraw money in Vietnam.

Stoyanoy Yuliyan Georgiev entered Vietnam in early March 2014, rented a hotel room in District 1 and started using fake ATM cards to withdraw money.

Stoyanoy Yuliyan Georgiev also declared that Ivan Ivanov promised to give him 10% of the total money that he withdraws from ATMs in Vietnam.

The police are investigating the case.

Using fake cards to appropriate nearly $60,000

The three defendants after the court.

On March 13, Ho Chi Minh City People's Court also put on trial and sentenced Jackson Tan Pei Loong, 31, Malaysian nationality to 14 years in prison for "using digital devices to appropriate assets."

Two other defendants - Teh Chee Wan, 34 and Tye Soon Hin, 34, both Malaysian nationality, were also sentenced to 12 years in jail on the same charges.

According to the indictment, on March 8, 2012, these men went to a shop in the Crescent Mall in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City to buy 20 Samsung Galaxy Note cell phones, totaling VND192 million ($7,000). They used faked credit cards to pay for the phones and were arrested.

Jackson Tan Pei Loong confessed that in October 2011, a Malaysian named Tan Bee Ling who was arrested in another case, introduced him to a Malaysian man called Ah Chai (unknown identity) in HCM City to be instructed how to use fake credit cards to buy goods. If the transactions are successful, Ah Chai will pay him 10% of the total amount appropriated. Jackson did some successful transactions and was paid $1,300.

From February 19 to March 8, 2012, Jackson and his accomplices used 42 fake credit cards to buy goods worth VND1.18 billion ($60,000).

Dam De-M. Phuong