The Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation on Social Order (coded C14B) under the Ministry of Public Security has foiled a blackmail plot of an overseas Vietnamese named Nguyen Chi Tam.

Earlier, on April 16, C14B got a message that Nguyen Chi Tam was kidnapped and detained by a gang in Dak Lak Province. The gang phoned his mother in the US, asking her to send US$80,000 to Viet Nam; otherwise, Tam would be given an injection of HIV virus. His terrified mother immediately phoned a person named Ton That Tuan in Dong Thap Province, asking him to manage the ransom to release her son. Tuan came to the American Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnamese Public Security for help.

After investigation, C14B discovered that Tam was not kidnapped; in fact, he was with his girlfriend in Dak Lak.

In the C14B office, Tam confessed that he made up the whole story to blackmail his family, so he could have money and stay in Viet Nam with his girlfriend.