Seoul, South Korea — South Korean authorities have taken custody of three nationals who were arrested in Vietnam after being placed on Interpol Red Notices in connection with alleged online fraud schemes targeting victims in South Korea.

Vietnamese police said the three men were detained in Ho Chi Minh City and later transferred to South Korean authorities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The operation involved local investigators, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and immigration authorities.

The suspects were identified as Wang Taesan, Han Joonhee and Bang Giseong. Vietnamese authorities said the three were internationally wanted at the request of South Korean police over allegations involving technology-based financial scams.

Investigators described more than one alleged fraud method. In one scheme, victims were reportedly contacted by people claiming to possess compromising videos. The callers allegedly threatened to publish the supposed material online unless victims transferred money. Police said the suspects did not actually possess the videos and allegedly used the claims as a means of obtaining payments.

Another alleged operation involved impersonating South Korean prosecutors and other government officials. According to Vietnamese investigators, victims received telephone calls and links to forged documents, including fake arrest warrants carrying their names.

The alleged fraudsters then reportedly claimed that the victims’ bank accounts were connected to criminal activity. Victims were allegedly instructed to transfer funds to designated accounts for supposed verification, allowing the perpetrators to obtain the money.

The arrests highlight the increasingly international nature of online financial crime, in which suspects can operate from another country while targeting victims thousands of kilometres away.

Vietnamese authorities said the successful arrests and handover demonstrate continued cooperation between the two countries in dealing with transnational criminal activity. The operation also follows other recent cases involving South Korean nationals wanted internationally for alleged online fraud who were located in Vietnam.

The three suspects were transferred to South Korean authorities after the Vietnamese investigation and related procedures were completed. South Korean authorities are expected to continue the criminal investigation and judicial process.

An Interpol Red Notice is an international request to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition or other legal proceedings; it is not itself an international arrest warrant.

The allegations against the three suspects have not been finally established in court. They remain entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence as the South Korean legal proceedings move forward.