Four men arrested in Vietnam over alleged fake-meteorite scheme

On March 20, Bac Ninh police announced criminal proceedings and the arrest of four men suspected of defrauding a Hanoi victim through a fake “heavenly stone”, or meteorite, transaction. The reported loss was 11 billion Vietnamese dong, approximately 3.17 million Chinese yuan. Police said the main suspect had fabricated supposed “heavenly stones” since 2025 and worked with others to seek wealthy buyers who held superstitious beliefs. They allegedly used promises of high-value rare-mineral transactions to lure victims, requiring a ritual at a designated location before the deal. Technical tricks reportedly created mysterious effects to persuade the buyer that the “meteorite” had special value. After the transaction, the fake meteorite was sealed in a safe, with instructions not to open it without permission. By March 2026, repeated requests by the victim to open it had been refused, prompting suspicion and a police report. Police said they had recovered some cash and a vehicle linked to the case and urged caution over high-priced rare-mineral transactions.