On May 21, 2025, Vietnamese authorities dismantled Ame Global, a multi-level marketing (MLM) Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 9,000 investors across Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. The scam, linked to Taiwan-based Win All Trading Co., Ltd., promised high returns through a fake health supplement, Nguu Chuong Chi mushrooms.
Leadership and Operations
- Ringleader: Huang Wen Yen (born 1978, Taiwanese), general director of Ame Global, remains at large.
- Base: Headquartered in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with a Vietnamese branch at The 67 Tower, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Transnational Scope: Involved suspects from Taiwan, China, and ethnic Chinese Vietnamese, operating as a large-scale MLM crime ring.
The Ponzi Model
- Investment: Participants invested ~14.8 million VND ($570 USD) for a box of Nguu Chuong Chi mushrooms.
- Structure: Binary MLM tree with up to 20 levels, promising 10% daily global revenue commissions (up to $1,000/day) and 5% bonuses from downline earnings.
- Mechanism: Returns were paid using new investors’ funds, a classic Ponzi scheme tactic.
The Bust Ame Global Ponzi Scheme
- Date: May 21, 2025, announced by Lang Son Provincial Police.
- Arrests: 12 Vietnamese suspects, including Ngo Huu Thap, Lang Thi Thuy Dung, and others from Ho Chi Minh City, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Ninh.
- Seized Assets: One car, six computers, 14 mobile phones, two iPads, ~15,000 empty supplement boxes, 2,000+ Nguu Chuong Chi bottles, 35,000+ labels, and production equipment.
- Financial Impact: Transactions in trillions of VND (hundreds of millions USD).
Current Status
The investigation continues to identify additional accomplices and quantify losses. Victims are encouraged to contact Lang Son Provincial Police. The case underscores Vietnam’s vulnerability to crypto and MLM scams, driven by trust and limited fraud awareness.
Takeaway
The Ame Global ponzi scheme bust serves as a warning to investors about schemes promising high returns with minimal risk. Thorough due diligence and skepticism of MLM investment models are critical to avoiding financial fraud.