On 24/9, Nguyen Thi Quyen, 48, and her husband Tran Dang Hai, 52, residents of Soc Son, were sentenced by the Hanoi People's Court to 14 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for fraud.
The indictment stated that in 2013, Quyen and Hai presented themselves as spirit mediums in Khanh Hoa, where they stayed at the home of Ms. Trang and met her sister, Ms. Hien. Quyen investigated Ms. Hien's family and claimed she had a spiritual calling and needed a ritual cleansing to avert misfortune. Quyen threatened that if Ms. Hien didn't comply, her family would suffer.
In August 2014, Ms. Hien traveled to Hanoi and participated in a ritual at Quyen's home in Soc Son.
Over the next five years (2014-2019), Quyen and Hai pretended to be possessed by spirits during rituals, demanding money from Ms. Hien for various ceremonies.
The indictment detailed how Quyen claimed in 2014 that Ms. Hien's family was burdened by past-life karma and had to pay for cleansing rituals, costing 7 million VND for men and 9 million VND for women.
Quyen fabricated further threats, claiming a tamarind tree in front of Ms. Hien's house needed a ritual to prevent her father from having a motorcycle accident and that deceased relatives required ceremonies for their souls to rest.
Knowing Ms. Hien's fear of spiders, Quyen threatened her with an infestation if she didn't pay for rituals. Quyen also claimed Ms. Hien's motorcycle was cursed and required a ritual to prevent an accident.
Authorities confirmed that Ms. Hien consistently complied, transferring money and following instructions. By the end of 2019, realizing she was out of funds, Quyen and Hai allowed her to return to Khanh Hoa but demanded she record a video stating her payments were voluntary donations for spiritual cleansing.
Ms. Hien testified to having given over 3.4 billion VND in cash and transfers. However, lacking corroborating evidence, the investigation focused on bank transactions and a motorcycle "cleansed" in a ritual, totaling 640 million VND in damages.
During the same period, Quyen and Hai employed similar tactics with Ms. Trang, posing as spirits and deceased relatives to extort money. Like her sister, Ms. Trang complied out of fear, claiming to have given over 4 billion VND. Without receipts or evidence, authorities could only verify 360 million VND in losses based on bank statements.
Ms. Trang also accused the couple of defrauding her of a 59 m2 apartment in Nha Trang. They allegedly impersonated her grandfather's spirit, demanding she transfer ownership within three months. They performed rituals, threatening her husband's death and childlessness if she didn't comply, promising to return the apartment after three months, a promise they never kept.
The investigation confirmed the apartment transfer was legally conducted, finding no grounds for fraud charges in this instance.
Police received reports from three other individuals alleging they were scammed by the couple. However, lacking corroborating evidence beyond their testimonies, authorities couldn't substantiate these claims.
In court, Quyen denied the charges, claiming a lack of evidence. The victims testified to being manipulated and financially exploited.
The prosecution argued there was sufficient evidence to prove the defendants' guilt, emphasizing their exploitation of superstitious beliefs and the victims' trust, calling for severe punishment. Hai Thu reported.
