A 34-year-old woman from Phu Tho has been charged with the crime of lending money at an exorbitant interest rate of 216% per year, which is 10.8 times higher than the maximum legal interest rate allowed. On September 12, the Phu Tho Provincial Police announced that they had initiated legal proceedings against Pham Thi Thu Huong for her involvement in illegal lending practices.

The investigation began after a complaint was filed by a local resident, identified as D.T.T.V., who alleged that Huong had posted false information that harmed her reputation. Upon further investigation, police discovered a financial dispute between Huong and V. regarding loans taken out between October and December 2025.

During this period, Huong lent V. a total of 40 million VND, charging an interest rate of 6,000 VND per million per day. As a result, by July of the following year, V. had paid Huong a total of 52.5 million VND in interest alone, while the principal amount remained unpaid. According to police calculations, Huong's illegal profits amounted to nearly 47 million VND.

The authorities have placed restrictions on Huong's movement to facilitate the ongoing investigation. Under Article 468 of the Civil Code of 2015, the maximum interest rate for loans is capped at 20% per year, unless otherwise specified by relevant laws. Any interest exceeding this limit is deemed invalid.

Furthermore, Article 201 of the Penal Code states that individuals who lend money at rates five times higher than the legal limit and profit illegally from amounts exceeding 30 million VND may face criminal charges for usury in civil transactions. The police have advised the public to seek loans only from banks or licensed financial institutions and to thoroughly understand the terms of any loan agreements.