A woman’s TikTok videos in which she accused her ex-boyfriend of scamming her out of $75 for food for his dog led to his arrest for allegedly stealing from dentists in Hawaii and California, according to a story published in the Honolulu Civil Beat.
Quan “David” Hoang Vu, who was dubbed the “HNL Swindler” by Dominique Bird, the woman who posted the TikTokvideos about him, was arrested on November 4 in California and charged with identity theft and grand theft in connection with a scam he allegedly orchestrated at a dental office in 2025, according to the story.
Vu, 32, was being held in the county jail awaiting his next court date.
The allegations
Orange County dentist Dr. Monique Sison-Aweau claimed that Vu stole $18,000 from her practice after he came to her practice in 2025 for a half-day job interview. Sison-Aweau claimed she paid Vu $200 for the half day he worked at the practice. Later, Sison-Aweau discovered charges on her practice account that she didn’t make, according to the story.
After contacting police, Sison-Aweau learned that Vu used the routing and accounting numbers printed on the check she used to pay him to pay off his credit card.
Hawaii dentist Dr. Kyrell Wright alleges that Vu, who worked for him, offered discounts to patients who paid cash, then pocketed the money and removed the procedure from the person’s file. Wright claims that Vu stole about $80,000 from his practice. Wright has been in contact with police, but Vu has not yet been charged, according to the story.
Additionally, Vu is reportedly wanted in Virginia for credit card fraud, according to the story.
A Cupcake, an alleged debt, and a viral video
While Bird and Vu were dating, she agreed to watch his dog Cupcake while Vu went on a business trip to California. Bird took care of the dog, allegedly buying $75 worth of blueberries and coconut water that were reportedly part of Cupcake’s diet.
When Vu returned from the trip, he reportedly told Bird that he was involved with another woman. Bird claimed that Vu never reimbursed her for the money she spent on Cupcake. She made a TikTok video about Vu and his alleged behavior to prevent others from getting duped by him, according to the story.
Bird’s post went viral, and others began sharing their run-ins with Vu and that they had experienced difficulties attempting to get help from authorities.
Eventually, Bird claimed that an individual close with Vu and his current girlfriend told her that the couple planned on attending the “Oogie Boogie Bash,” a Halloween event at Disneyland. Bird contacted police in California about the plan.
On November 4, Vu, the girlfriend, and Cupcake were found walking along the street in Newport Beach, CA, where he was arrested.
A Facebook post published by the Irvine Police Department stated the following about Vu’s arrest:
“This guy was a real pain in the molars for law enforcement. Posing as a dental office professional, he allegedly drilled his way into dentists’ offices across the country, swindling thousands of dollars while working for people he was supposed to be helping,” according to the Facebook post.
“After pulling off his nationwide scheme, he tried to escape the pressure by retreating to Hawaii for a little island time.”
Following the arrest, Cupcake was permitted to leave with Vu’s girlfriend, according to police.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
