Fraudulent tricks disguised as healing services

“Healing the crippled” courses

“The treatment did not cure me and I lost another 5 million VND,” said Ms. HKN, a resident of Vinh Thong Ward. Ms. N said that in early 2025, after being fired from her job and facing great financial pressure, she gradually showed signs of emotional disturbance. To “relieve” her mental health, she turned to meditation and yoga classes online.

Many victims were scammed after participating in online meditation and yoga classes on social networking applications.

Ms. N said: “I came across a clip introducing a meditation class on TikTok so I contacted her to register. After sending the information, a person named Thuong called to confirm. Thuong added me as a friend on Zalo, sent clips and pictures proving that students participated in the course, and even showed me the feedback of people who said that after learning meditation, their psychology improved, their complexion became rosy, and their personality was gentle, so I believed it.”

After consulting with Thuong, Ms. N agreed to register for the course. She transferred 2.5 million VND for 3-month tuition and 2.5 million VND for reference materials. After completing the procedures, Thuong announced that the class would start in 2 weeks and would send the class link. However, on the appointed day, Ms. N waited for a long time without receiving any contact. When calling and texting, she discovered that Thuong had blocked all communication. The TikTok channel she had watched had also blocked and removed her from the follow list.

Headache from meeting "fake experts"

Not only are people fooled by fake courses, many also fall into the trap of fake psychological “experts”. Mr. PTH, residing in My Thuan commune, confided: “Recently, my work has been stagnant, so my mentality is unstable. Seeing signs of depression, I sought help from a psychological expert. Because I didn’t want my family to worry, I looked for an online treatment facility.”

Mr. H was introduced by a friend to a man who claimed to be a psychiatrist named Manh, who had studied in Nepal. Trusting him, he signed up for a “meditation - turning inward” course with the goal of awakening his inner strength, priced at 3.5 million VND. In addition, he also bought incense to ward off “bad energy”. The total amount he transferred to Manh was 7 million VND.

After about 2 weeks of meditation, Mr. H began to have doubts when Manh sent him the incense and instructions for the next steps. “What Manh called healing incense was actually incense coils sold in the market, with a very bad smell that lingered on the bed sheets, curtains, and clothes. Manh also asked me to practice very unscientific methods such as staying up until 2 a.m. to “connect with the universe,” leaving my family to “understand myself,” or “taking off all my clothes and meditating on the grass” to “return to nature”… Hearing this, I knew I had encountered a fake expert.”

When Mr. H repeatedly questioned the quality of the product and the strange healing method, Manh hesitantly blamed the shipping process for the spoilage of the fragrance. Then, Manh manipulated Mr. H by saying that because Mr. H did not have enough faith, the healing process was ineffective, then blocked his contact and removed him from the chat group.

In addition to courses and “fake experts”, many people, especially young people, are also trapped when buying spiritual items such as necklaces, bracelets, amulets, etc. in the hope of keeping their bodies and minds at peace. In response to this situation, the Ministry of Public Security said that scammers often target people with weak minds to guide and control their behavior. Instead of being treated with scientific procedures, many victims are drawn into vague “healing paths” that have no professional basis, accompanied by requests to pay money multiple times or participate in activities that go beyond the scope of spiritual support.

The consequences of these disguised services are very serious. When mentally manipulated, victims easily fall into a state of dependence and lose faith in orthodox treatment methods. Many people even have to borrow or lie to relatives and friends to have money to attend the "courses", causing psychological damage that is deeper and more difficult to overcome.

The Ministry of Public Security recommends that everyone should raise awareness and stay alert when choosing psychological support services. Only seek reputable, licensed facilities with a clear team of professionals. When detecting unusual signs, it is necessary to quickly report to the authorities for timely handling.

Participating in communication programs and training on mental health skills is also a way for each person to equip themselves with a "shield" to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams, especially in the fields of psychology and healing.

WALL VI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nhung-chieu-tro-lua-dao-nup-bong-dich-vu-chua-lanh-a463434.html