VietNamNet Bridge – The unlicensed website in Vietnamese language introduced itself as having relations with Liberty Reverse, the company which has been accused by the US authorities of laundering money, is still providing money remittance services to domestic clients.

On May 28, Liberty Reverse had to shut down after the accusation for money laundry of up to $6 billion. In Vietnam, a website under the name of the institution still keeps operation and provides money remittance services.

Through the online payment system of Liberty Reverse, clients can convert US dollars or euros into a kind of virtual currency to make transactions on Internet. The currency is called by Liberty Reverse as “LR.”

On the home page of the website, one can find the guides allowing users buy and sell money in LR. The website says the money remittance will be carried out via one of the four Vietnamese banks, including Vietcombank, Vietinbank, Dong A Bank and ACB.

There is no information about the head office, contact number and about the owner of the website as well as the statements about its principles and the purposes.

The website was built up in late 2012, while the first pieces of news turned up in November 2012.

When reporters dialed the hot line number given on the website on May 29 afternoon, a man answered the call, confirming that the website had provided the service of receiving money remitted from overseas via Liberty Reverse in the US until May 24. However, he said the website in the US was collapsed on last Friday, while he himself does not have any further information.

“We ourselves are the victims in the case and we have also lost money,” he said.

The man affirmed that the clients who made transactions via the website and had not withdrawn money prior to May 24 would lose their money.

However, the man affirmed that the website in Vietnam is not a branch of Liberty Reverse in the US, but it is just an exchanger.

As soon as the website in the US stopped operation, the website in Vietnam also made an announcement that it has stopped operation and regretted the breakdown.

The notice published on the website says “we are all the victims of the breakdown. The transactions cannot be made for the time being, including the interbank money exchange in Vietnam.”

A banking expert said on May 29 that there is no information about the owner of the website. When asked about the transactions with the four Vietnamese banks, the expert said the website might have accounts at the banks as other normal clients, while it did not declare that the accounts serve the money remittance.

He went on to say that under the Vietnamese laws, there must not be the “LR” currency.

Competent agencies have said they have got the information relating to the website and they are keeping a close watch over the case.

Dao Minh Tuan, Deputy General Director of Vietcombank, has affirmed that the bank does not have any relations with Liberty Reverse, saying that Vietcombank now acts as an agent for MoneyGram, TNMonex and Uniteller only.

According to Tuan, foreign clients, who want to remit money into the accounts at Vietcombank, can do this in two ways. They either make transactions at the banks located in the cities where they live, or use the services provided by the three Vietcombank’s partners.

VNE