Originally there was no need for Truong Nguyen to steal identities. In 1979, Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam as a legal permanent resident. Unfortunately, in 1995 due to a burglary conviction, his status was revoked, and he was ordered to be deported – which for some reason did not happen. And since then, Nguyen has led a life undetected in the United States under the cover of stolen identities while stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. government benefits.
The last stolen identity Nguyen assumed was that of a boy who died in 2002 at the age of 13. In 2018, Nguyen used the deceased’s identity to obtain and use multiple government-issued identification documents, including a Massachusetts driver’s license as well as a Social Security card. In the early 2020s, Nguyen completed EMT-basic training and EMT-paramedic certification using the deceased’s identity. Later that year, he enrolled at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and began working for the Melrose Fire Department.
Nguyen’s schemes nearly came to an end in 2018 when facial recognition software at the Massachusetts RMV detected licenses issued under both his real and assumed names. At a fraud hearing, he presented falsified documents which convinced officials that the stolen identity was genuine. As a result, RMV closed the case and, believing the victim was Nguyen’s true identity, suspended the license in his real name without reinstatement.
Nguyen life of lies and fraud came to an end in March 2023, when Nguyen applied for a U.S. passport. Despite providing identifying documentation supporting the stolen identity, the Boston Passport Agency flagged the application and referred it to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, which led the investigation and ultimately Nguyens arrest.
On July 10, 2025, Nguyen was sentenced to two years in prison.
Excellent job by the Boston Passport Agency and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Vietnamese national sentenced for using identity of deceased child to work as a firefighter in Massachusetts” published by WWLP News on July 10, 2025.
A Vietnamese national who lived under the stolen identity of a deceased child for six years–using it to secure certifications and employment as a firefighter and paramedic in Massachusetts.
Truong Nguyen, 50, of Braintree, was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Nguyen is also subject to deportation upon completing his sentence.
