Vietnamese gambling syndicate used AI deepfakes to bypass bank biometrics
A Vietnamese syndicate used AI-generated deepfake videos to bypass bank biometric authentication systems while operating a cross-border gambling and money laundering operation, reportedly moving over 1,000 billion dong between September 2024 and April 2025. Thai Binh Provincial Police dismantled the operation and charged 21 suspects with gambling and money laundering offenses.
What happened
A Vietnamese gambling and money laundering syndicate operated through the KUBET platform, which had servers outside Vietnam and offered online gambling games including lottery and sports betting. From January to April 2025, the syndicate handled transaction volumes exceeding 1,000 billion Vietnamese dong across over 1 million user accounts.
The syndicate, led by Phạm Hồng Chuyền under direction from an individual named Thu based in Taiwan, used AI technology to create deepfake video clips of user faces to bypass biometric authentication systems of Vietnamese banks during remote transactions. The group also hired multiple people to open hundreds of bank accounts and used remote control software to move funds through multiple layers of accounts to conceal illegal money origins.
Reported impact
Thai Binh Provincial Police determined the syndicate laundered approximately 200 billion dong per month, with a total of over 1,000 billion dong laundered from September 2024 to April 2025. Investigators froze over 500 bank accounts linked to the operation.
Index analysis
Security experts noted this was the first documented case in Vietnam of criminals using AI technology to defeat bank biometric authentication systems for money laundering purposes.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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