Hàng trăm nạn nhân sập bẫy thẻ kỳ nghỉ | VTV24

Key Concepts

• Hợp đồng nghỉ dưỡng/kỳ nghỉ gia đình/thẻ dịch vụ: Various names for contracts involving vacation services, often presented with misleading promises.
• Sở hữu kỳ nghỉ (Timeshare): A business model where individuals purchase the right to use a property for a specific period each year.
• Lừa đảo/Dấu hiệu lừa đảo: Fraudulent activities or indicators of such.
• Phiếu thu: A receipt for payment, often lacking official tax documentation.
• Hóa đơn giá trị gia tăng (VAT invoice): Official tax invoice.
• Trốn thuế/Vi phạm quy định về hạch toán kế toán: Tax evasion and violations of accounting regulations.
• Cầm cố tài sản: Mortgaging or pledging assets as collateral.
• Tín dụng đen/Lãi suất cao: Unofficial lending with exorbitant interest rates.

Summary

This report details a widespread scam involving "vacation contracts," "family holiday contracts," or "service card contracts," which ultimately lead to customers being defrauded. Despite being presented under various names, these schemes share a common tactic: making promises that are not reflected in the signed contracts, trapping numerous customers. This issue has been previously reported by the program, but a recent surge has seen approximately 200 victims, primarily elderly individuals, coming forward to accuse 12 companies involved in this business.

Modus Operandi and Victim Experiences

The interviewed company representative stated they were halting new sales to focus on existing customers, a claim contradicted by the fact that this company is among the 12 accused. Victims report diverse experiences: some purchased a holiday card for the first time and were unable to contact the company or secure their promised vacation. Others were approached by a different company, offering to buy back their existing card at a significantly inflated price, only for the contract to turn out to be for a new card purchase.

The evidence presented by over 200 victims details accusations against 12 companies, with losses ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of Vietnamese Dong. Some individuals purchased up to nine holiday cards from nine different companies. While the sales tactics employed by these companies are similar, it often took multiple purchases for victims to realize they were being deceived. Many were lured by promises of the company buying back their holiday cards at three to four times the original price. In one extreme case, a card valued at nearly 500 million VND was offered to be bought back for 22 billion VND. Victims often transferred money without thoroughly reading the contracts.

One victim recounted a conversation with a representative from "Hoàng Kim" regarding a "purchase service" for a holiday card. The representative explained that the "night stay service" was being sold, and the "framework contract" was to formalize the "guarantee fee," allowing both parties to avoid taxes.

Financial and Legal Irregularities

The list of 12 companies accused by over 200 citizens involves a total sum exceeding 100 billion VND. A common thread among these companies is the practice of their employees enticing customers to buy cards from other affiliated companies. Employees possess customer information, including details of existing cards, which they use to make personalized sales pitches, fostering trust and encouraging repeated purchases.

One family reported losing over 1 billion VND to "Hoàng Kim," with all transactions documented only by receipts ("phiếu thu") and no official VAT invoices. The significant sums involved, potentially reaching hundreds of billions of VND, highlight this as a societal issue requiring legal intervention. Experts suggest that authorities could immediately investigate potential violations of tax law, as transactions exceeding 20 million VND should be conducted via bank transfer. The use of simple receipts for billions of VND suggests potential tax evasion or violations of accounting regulations.

Deception and Exploitation of Trust

When companies failed to repurchase the cards as promised, ongoing communication and assurances from sales representatives kept many victims hopeful. However, upon seeking their rights, victims were often told that the representative had resigned. Alarmingly, most of the victims accusing these 12 companies are over 70 years old, with many exceeding 80. Beyond their savings and pensions, these individuals have resorted to borrowing money from acquaintances and even mortgaging their homes and assets. The consequences extend beyond the individual, impacting their families and descendants who are unaware of the unfolding situation.

A poignant example is an elderly woman in Hanoi who purchased four holiday cards. Despite her daughter's warnings of a scam, she remained unconvinced. After her death, her family discovered that three of their houses had been mortgaged, all linked to these holiday card purchases. Her daughter shared distressing messages received from her mother near death, pleading for loans of 100-200 million VND. The report emphasizes how sales representatives exploited the elderly, draining their savings, encouraging them to borrow from friends and relatives, and ultimately leading to the mortgaging and transfer of their properties.

Societal Impact and Psychological Toll

The vulnerability of the elderly, who may not fully grasp the high risk of asset loss, is a critical concern. The societal impact is described as immense, creating a sense of insecurity not only for the victims but also for their children and grandchildren. Instead of enjoying their retirement, elderly parents are causing their children to worry and potentially incur significant costs to reclaim their parents' assets.

Many victims kept their purchases secret from their families. Their advanced age and trust in the seemingly friendly inquiries from sales staff made them susceptible to transferring funds. The aftermath has left many living in constant anxiety due to financial losses. One victim expressed worry about debts owed to her sisters, both retired factory workers. She has experienced multiple medical emergencies due to high blood pressure and insomnia. She has resorted to borrowing at high interest rates, with some lenders charging rates comparable to banks, and others offering loans with extremely high interest when she was desperate. She now has to pay over ten million VND monthly in interest alone, on top of her depleted pension. Her family's salary book has also been mortgaged.

Despite physical difficulties and pre-existing health conditions, many elderly individuals are still attempting to unite and file complaints against the 12 companies, driven by a desire to recover their losses and a fear of their families discovering the extent of their predicament. The plight of these over 200 elderly victims, with damages exceeding 100 billion VND, is a disturbing consequence of the holiday card scam.

Call for Action and Conclusion

While the legal violations require investigation by law enforcement, there is also a need to clarify the management and oversight responsibilities of local departments where these businesses are registered. The repercussions of this scam extend beyond individual victims, transforming the peaceful twilight years of many into periods of anxiety and sleepless nights for entire families.