Tinder dates conspire to extort money from men

Nguyen Tuyet Anh, 20, and Nguyen Tuan Anh, 30, were put under an investigation by police of Nam Tu Liem District for extortion on Friday.

Tuyet And and Tuan Anh got acquainted on dating application Tinder. After going to a hotel for sex, Tuan Anh took sensitive photos of Tuyet Anh to blackmail her for VND15 million ($618.18). He said he would publicize the two’s relationship and send the photos to Tuyet Anh’s friends and her school if she does not obey.

As Tuan Anh felt that Tuyet Anh was easy to manipulate, seeing that she sent him VND2 million right after the threat, Tuan Anh requested for her cooperation to extort money from other people.

The plan is for Tuyet Anh to use Tinder and look for men wanting sex. She is then tasked to take sensitive photos of her dates as evidence. Tuan Anh will be outside the hotel and take photos of the men going in and out of the building, as well as following them to figure out where they live and work.

Using the gathered information, the two cooperated to extort money out of people. In October, using such a scheme, Tuyet Anh posed as a university student in Hanoi to get to know a man, before inviting him to a hotel.

When the man left the hotel, Tuan Anh called him on the phone and told him that he had "slept with my wife at the hotel". When the victim offered to pay VND20 million as compensation, Tuan Anh demanded VND50 million.

The police said that after successfully gaining VND50 million the first time, Tuan Anh continued to make threats and demanded another VND50 million, claiming that the victim had slept with "his wife" twice. When the victim sent another VND25 million and was still threatened, he reported the matter to the police. Tuyet Anh and Tuan Anh were later arrested.

The police said the duo had extorted VND20 million from another man previously.