Yang Chang Cai, 34, Deng Cong Cong, 30, and Lian Yu, 36, were found guilty of "using computer networks, telecommunications, the Internet or digital devices to misappropriate property."

The trio entered Vietnam in July last year, stayed in Vinh, the capital of Nghe An, and installed equipment at local ATMs to steal customers' data for making fake cards.

Acting on complaints from affected banks, the Ministry of Public Security arrested the trio in September as they were leaving town.

Officers found them in possession of 316 fake bank cards and three sets of electronic equipment with mini cameras and data collection software.

Investigators said they had stolen over VND279 million ($12,060) from a number of accounts between August and September 2019.

In recent years Vietnamese police have busted a number of Chinese gangs who illegally entered Vietnam and stole money using fake cards.

Two Chinese men were caught in northern Lang Son Province in February last year trying to install electronic components to steal data from local ATMs.

In 2018 four Chinese men were jailed for four and a half years each for similar crimes in Quang Ninh Province on the China border.