On 23/6, Phan Thi Thu Trang, 36, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court for fraudulent appropriation of property. She was also ordered to compensate victims for the entire defrauded amount.

The trial panel stated that the defendant's actions infringed on others' property rights, involved a significantly large sum of money, and negatively impacted social order and safety, thus warranting severe punishment.

Defendant Phan Thi Thu Trang in court today. *Photo: Binh Nguyen*

The indictment stated that in 2021, Trang created multiple personal Facebook pages and used Zalo accounts to post numerous articles about spirituality, aiming to sell feng shui items. By 2023, needing money to pay debts and for personal expenses, Trang conceived the idea of appropriating others' property by exploiting spiritual beliefs.

Investigating authorities determined that from March 2023 to September 2024, Trang claimed fortune-telling abilities and fabricated stories. These included victims being "possessed by spirits," "cursed by black magic," children having "unlucky birth times," or relatives facing impending disasters that could endanger their lives.

This fabricated information caused victims to become anxious and fearful. Trang then demanded money for rituals to ward off bad luck, expel spirits, and neutralize misfortune. To gain trust, she promised to refund the money after the ceremonies.

Believing Trang's claims, victims transferred sums ranging from tens of millions to billions of VND, unaware they were being scammed. Using these tactics, between March 2023 and September 2024, Trang defrauded 31 victims in Ho Chi Minh City of over 28.1 billion VND.

In court, the defendant admitted to all criminal acts.

Binh Nguyen