6 Filipinos detained over card game scam targeting tourists in Vietnam

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have launched legal proceeding against six Philippine nationals accused of running a fraud ring that targeted foreign tourists through staged card games. Investigators said the suspects approached mostly elderly tourists traveling alone, gained their trust and lured them to rented locations where accomplices posed as gamblers. Victims were initially allowed to win before being persuaded to withdraw cash to continue betting. The group then distracted the victims and fled with the money.The police identified Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas as the alleged ringleader, who organized the operation and divided the proceeds among accomplices. The five other suspects are Pardo Oscar Winkler, De Vera Diosdado, Pardo Maria Lanie, Villarin Bregida and Bernardino Rolando Lim. Del Rosario Rafael Macapanas (L) and other suspects a scam ring targeting tourists in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Ho Chi Minh City Police Authorities said the gang carried out 18 scams between May 2025 and July 2026, appropreating about US$10,000 from foreign tourists.The six suspects were detained on July 15 on allegations of "fraudulent appropriation of property," while the investigation continues.