Thien “Kim” Nguyen, who owns Signature Nails in Canoga Park, and her husband, Phuc Huynh, are at the center of a fraud case that authorities say zeroed in on members of the San Fernando Valley’s Vietnamese community. Investigators allege the couple took in cash investments from roughly a dozen people and failed to return much of the money.
According to the Los Angeles Times, detectives say Nguyen and Huynh collected about $1.4 million in cash, using notarized promissory notes and occasional payouts to make the arrangement appear legitimate. The couple has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of grand theft, the paper reports.
In a December 2025 press release, the California Department of Justice said it worked with the LAPD on a sweep that led to the couple’s arrests after prosecutors alleged the scheme had brought in about $1.9 million. “Exploitation of immigrant communities for financial gain, also known as Affinity Fraud, will not be tolerated in California,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the statement.
Victims told investigators they handed over eye-popping sums of cash. One man, Hua Ma, said he brought stacks of $100 bills to the couple and ultimately lent them about $105,000. A 60-year-old nail technician reported giving Nguyen $253,000 and getting only $240 back. Another lender put up $320,000 and received roughly $24,000 in return. Court records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times also describe a handwritten note that demanded $100 a day in interest on a $10,000 loan, and show lenders turning to civil courts to seek judgments in separate lawsuits.
How investigators say the scheme worked
Prosecutors contend Nguyen and Huynh pushed for cash-only deals, backed them with promissory notes, and then cycled money from newer investors to make small payments to earlier ones. Authorities likened that pattern to a Ponzi-style scheme. That characterization surfaced in early accounts of the arrests and in local coverage, including a Hoodline write-up of the December announcement: Van Nuys Couple Arrested.
Court status and prosecution
The case is being prosecuted by the California DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section, while detectives with the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division continue to investigate, according to the DOJ statement. Nguyen and Huynh were arrested last winter and are currently out on bail as the criminal case moves forward in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Community fallout
The allegations have rattled trust in informal immigrant lending networks that often run on word of mouth and personal referrals, leaving many in the valley wary of lending again. Fliers warning neighbors about the couple have circulated in Vietnamese-owned businesses and restaurants, and some alleged victims say they are considering civil lawsuits to try to claw back what they can.
Authorities are urging anyone who believes they were victimized to contact the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division or the California Department of Justice. Some victims have already pursued civil claims to collect on default judgments obtained in state court. The criminal case remains active, and Nguyen and Huynh are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
