VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi Police are investigating an individual who allegedly created a website to slander a company and its director in order to make a profit.

Lieutenant colonel Ngo Minh An, head of the city's investigation team for high-tech crimes, announced last Thursday that the investigation began as soon as Hapulico Real Estate Investment Company reported seeing false information posted about the said company at hapulicocomplex.com last Monday.

An investigation revealed the website was run by Nguyen Sy Tien, 29, from central Thanh Hoa Province, although he currently resides in Ha Noi's Cau Giay District.

Tien, who studied Information Technology at university, admitted to the police that he posted the information to smear the reputation of the company and its director with the aim of offering the company the opportunity to buy the website for a high price.

When they searched his home, police found and confiscated a computer and documents that the suspect used to launch the website.

Tien said when he realised the company already had two official websites under two separate domain names, hapulicocomplex.com.vn and hapulicocomplex.vn, he had the idea to launch a website with a similar address.

At the beginning, he simply wanted to re-post information about real estate and stocks from the company's websites in order to gain profit.

The company, which is the key investor in a trade centre, offices and a building complex in Thanh Xuan District's Nguyen Huy Tuong Street, reported the unofficial website to authorities after realising that the information could affect its reputation and business.

Police officer An said that this was the first case of its kind reported in the city.

Investigators said the suspect's alleged crime was to "illegally post and use information on the internet" (Article 226, Criminal Law) and to "calumniate" (Article 122).

An said the case was a warning for firms and businesses when thinking about their web domains.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News