Tens of thousands of victims fell into the trap
According to Lao Dong, during the recent 2025 Lunar New Year, taking advantage of the fact that many people went to the temple with the wish for a peaceful and prosperous new year, the situation of online fortune telling on social networks continuously flourished with groups having hundreds of thousands of members participating.
Taking advantage of many people's belief in fortune telling, spells, and curse removal, these subjects "follow suit", using threatening words to make the victims afraid and want their curses removed.
In October 2024, from information from the people, the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of Thai Nguyen Provincial Police identified a group of subjects who specialized in using telephones to call people, claiming to be "mediums" of some religious establishments, taking advantage of people's spiritual beliefs to defraud and appropriate property.
The Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department has coordinated with the Criminal Police Department of Thai Nguyen Province to establish a special project to combat the crime. During the investigation, the police determined that the criminals lived in Tuyen Quang Province.
On December 27, 2024, Thai Nguyen Provincial Police coordinated with Tuyen Quang Provincial Police to conduct administrative inspections, urgently search the residences, locations, and vehicles of 3 subjects: Do Ngoc Anh (born in 1996), Dinh The Anh (born in 1993), Nguyen Thi Luu (born in 1986), all residing in Tuyen Quang province, and 26 related subjects who were employees who directly called people. Through the search, the Investigation Agency discovered and temporarily seized 14 computers and 32 headsets, 96 mobile phones of various types, 197 phone SIM cards, and documents that were fraudulent scripts for employees to call people.
To successfully scam, the subjects created detailed scripts of dialogue and situations that would arise and gave them to employees to call customers. When calling, they claimed to be "mediums" at pagodas and temples; threatening people about having spiritual problems such as being followed by ghosts, having bad luck related to health and finances, thereby inviting and enticing people to perform rituals to dispel bad luck or receive feng shui items.
The subjects provided information that these feng shui items had been used for ceremonies, "chanting", "opening the palace of fortune"... at temples and pagodas and had the ability to help people have peace, health, and prosperity, and required people to pay "donations and support to the temple and shrine" with the amount of 200,000-500,000 VND/feng shui item.
Through investigation, the police determined that from April to December 2024, Do Ngoc Anh led 3 groups with over 30 people to successfully defraud and appropriate property of 28,000 cases nationwide, with a total amount of money appropriated from the victims being over 8 billion VND.
Spiritual beliefs are being distorted
The Ministry of Public Security has repeatedly issued recommendations: Every citizen when using social networks needs to be extremely alert, not share or participate in groups related to superstition, and be vigilant against tricks that exploit spirituality, national culture and identity... for personal gain.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter, cultural expert - Dr. Nguyen Anh Hong acknowledged that the phenomenon of offering stars to dispel bad luck has been commercialized and exploited, and no longer takes place with the meaning of praying for peace and luck.
"The best way to resolve bad luck is to resolve bad luck from within. People forget that the way they give is better than what they give. This behavior must also be corrected. The most important thing when going to a temple is a sincere heart. The concept of going to the temple is "the heart comes out, the Buddha witnesses". There is no need for high tables, full dishes, or elaborate offerings, but a sincere heart, a good heart, and then doing many good deeds is the best. That is the best way to resolve bad luck in your heart" - Dr. Nguyen Anh Hong shared.
Cultural experts advise that it is necessary to correctly perceive that, for pilgrims, spiritual belief is very important. A stick of incense is more important than a high tray, a full feast, using material things, ceremonies, and gifts as a pact with the gods. No worshiping act can resolve the bad things, the random things that happen in each person's life. Only people who live well, have morality, and are kind can bring many good things to life.
