Spiritual fraud, profiting from foolish beliefs

Fall into the trap

In the first days of the new year, Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha (Hanoi) happened to surf TikTok and watched a livestream of a woman who claimed to be a "spiritual medium" who could communicate with the spiritual world. After a few general questions, the "spiritual medium" confirmed that Ms. Ha was possessed by a spirit and that if she did not perform a ritual to dispel bad luck soon, she would have bad luck all year. Worried, she quickly transferred nearly 10 million VND to perform the "remote karma-dispelling" ritual.

It was only when her friends warned her that she realized she had fallen into a scam.

Not only Ms. Ha, recently, spiritual scams have exploded on social networks with increasingly sophisticated forms. Livestream sessions to summon spirits, sell amulets, and pray to the stars to dispel bad luck from afar have attracted thousands of views, creating a virtual spiritual market full of traps. In the first days of the year, many people are often taken advantage of, causing many people to lose money unjustly.

If in the past, spiritual fraud mainly took place in temples and pagodas, where fortune tellers and mediums gave vague predictions to scare gullible people, now, thanks to social networks, these tricks have expanded their scope of operation.

Many accounts impersonate famous monks and magicians to sell feng shui items and amulets at exorbitant prices. Some livestreams even stage scenes of “divine possession” and “reading heavenly orders”, creating a sense of mystery, confusing viewers into believing that they actually have the ability to connect with the supernatural world. More worryingly, some groups impersonate famous temples and pagodas, calling for donations to hold remote peace-praying ceremonies, but in reality, no rituals take place.

In addition, many people are also lured into the form of "New Year's lucky loans" with the promise that if they only transfer a small amount of money, they will receive many times more thanks to "divine blessings". In fact, this is a variation of financial fraud disguised as belief, without any basis in orthodox religion.

Despite numerous warnings from authorities, the number of people falling victim to spiritual scams continues to rise. One of the main reasons is fear and the hope for good luck at the beginning of the new year. When hearing warnings about “impending misfortune” or “family spirits following them”, many people easily panic and are willing to spend large sums of money to “remove the curse” without verifying the authenticity of the information.

In addition, the explosion of social media also contributes to the crowd effect, making many people mistakenly believe that livestreams with thousands of views are trustworthy. When they see many other people also paying for ceremonies or buying charms, they easily believe this is the truth without knowing that the people who commented on the livestream and praised it could also be accomplices of the scammer.

Another important reason is the lack of understanding of true beliefs. Many people cannot distinguish between cultural traditions and superstitions, leading to being taken advantage of by scammers. While orthodox religions always promote self-cultivation, virtue accumulation, and doing good deeds to create blessings, scammers make people believe that just by spending money, they can “buy luck” and “resolve bad karma”.

What to doto khhe was fooled?

Faced with this situation, everyone needs to be vigilant and increase their knowledge to avoid becoming a victim of sophisticated scams, and avoid believing in individuals who call themselves “fortune tellers” or “spiritual mediums” on social networks. Vague predictions such as “the family is about to have a big disaster” or “must make an offering immediately to avoid disaster” are all signs of fraud.

Don’t spend money on shady spiritual services, especially online services like “remote worship” or “livestreaming spirit mediumship”. If someone asks for a large sum of money in exchange for peace of mind, calmly ask yourself whether it is really reasonable.

Authorities need to tighten control over related content on social networks and strictly handle those who exploit beliefs for personal gain. Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube need to have stricter censorship mechanisms to prevent the spread of superstitious livestreams.

Orthodox religious organizations also need to actively promote and help people understand the correct beliefs, avoiding the exploitation of their beliefs. When there is official information, people will have a basis to distinguish between true religion and scams.

Spiritual fraud not only causes financial damage but also affects the psychology and spirit of many people. When trust is misplaced, the consequences are not only loss of money but also prolonged confusion and fear.

Everyone hopes for a peaceful new year, but that doesn't come from spells or expensive rituals, but from each person's own lifestyle and thinking.