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Pham Ngoc Vinh, 52, was arrested by Bien Hoa City police on Tuesday for obtaining property by fraud.
Vinh said he rode to Bien Hoa from Ho Chi Minh City's District 12 on Saturday, bringing with him 470 expired lottery tickets, aiming to swap them out for valid tickets and sell them.
When he reached Duong Tu Giang Street, he saw Le Thi Thuan, a woman in a wheelchair with no arms and legs, selling lottery tickets. He then pretended to buy tickets from her.
Thuan brought out a pack of 530 tickets to pick out eight for Vinh. While she was distracted, Vinh swapped the pack of valid tickets with the expired ones and left.
When Thuan found out what happened, she tried to call for help, but Vinh had already gone.
Thuan then reported what happened to the police. Officers suspected that the perpetrator may try to pull the same stunt in other places, so they dispatched police to lay low in areas where disabled people often sell lottery tickets.
When Vinh tried to repeat a similar ticket swap in Phuoc Tan Ward on Tuesday, he was apprehended by police. He had already sold the tickets that he took from Thuan to a retailer for VND4.2 million ($171.88).
