Be wary of strangers.

(Baonghean) - "Thinking that behind the monastic robes was a kind and good person, thinking that helping the temple with some money was the right thing to do, I never imagined I would be robbed of all my money and gold..." - Ms. Tran Thi Tu (residing at house number 8A, alley 85, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Le Loi Ward, Vinh City) sadly shared...

Ms. Tran Thi Tu (born in 1981) stated that the theft of her money and gold occurred around 9:00 AM on July 8, 2015. At that time, she had just returned from the market, and the iron gate was closed but not yet locked. Inside the house, she heard the gate being pulled open. Going outside, she saw a bald man wearing a brown monk's robe, holding a large bowl in his hands. Thinking he was a mendicant monk, she asked, "Do you need rice or money?" The man replied, "I need money," with an accent and tone similar to that of a Southerner. Ms. Tu took a 10,000 dong note from her wallet. He took the note, said nothing, and returned it to her. She took the 10,000 dong note. Then, she personally took all the money in her wallet, 1,500,000 dong, and gave it all to him. Not only that, she went back inside, opened the safe, and took all the valuables inside, including a quantity of gold. Five gold rings, each weighing 1 chỉ (approximately 37.7 grams), and one gold necklace, weighing 2 chỉ (approximately 17.7 grams) (totaling 17.7 ounces of gold) were given to him.

Ms. Tran Thi Tu's house is hidden deep in alley 85, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Le Loi Ward (Vinh City). Photo: Vu Thai Quang

Around 10:00 AM that same day, Ms. Tú's son, Đ (a 7th-grade student at Đặng Thai Mai Secondary School), returned home from playing and found his mother unconscious. He tried to wake her, and only then did she remember what had happened and panicked because all her belongings were gone. After talking to some neighbors, everyone thought she had been tricked by someone dressed as a monk using hypnosis, and advised her to report it to the police. At over 11:00 AM that same day, she filed a report with the Lê Lợi Ward Police.

Alley No. 85 on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street is a dead end with many houses close together; Ms. Tu's house is near the end of the alley, with high walls and a closed gate. Why did the scammers choose this location? According to Ms. Tu, about a month before, a man dressed like a monk appeared in the alley selling incense. He was tall and thin, rode a motorbike, and had a document from Temple T. introducing him as selling incense to raise money for charity. Many families in the alley bought incense. Thinking her family also needed incense for the full moon day, she asked to buy 7 bags of incense at 30,000 VND/bag and promised to send an invitation to a ceremony at Temple T.

Ms. Tú said: "I don't know if these two incidents are related, but I don't understand how someone could manipulate me like that. Even the five gold rings my sister asked me to keep for her, which I carefully stored in a small bag, I still opened and gave to him... Now I've lost my property, and my mind is not at peace; I panic at the slightest noise. I hope the police will clarify this matter..."

According to Comrade Tran Van Ha, Deputy Head of Le Loi Ward Police, at 11:30 AM on July 8th, Ms. Tran Thi Tu reported to the police station that she had been tricked and robbed of her property by a person dressed in Buddhist robes using "hypnosis." Immediately after receiving the report, Le Loi Ward Police dispatched officers to the scene to investigate, create a model, and describe the suspect's characteristics... "This is the first time we have received a report about such a method of property theft. The citizen's report has been forwarded to the City Police for investigation. Through this incident, the public needs to be more vigilant..." - said Deputy Head of Le Loi Ward Police Tran Van Ha.

Also on July 8th, the Nghe An Newspaper's email inbox received a letter from Mr. Vu Thai Quang, working at the Information and Communication Department of the Provincial Buddhist Association. In the letter, Mr. Quang reiterated information about the incident involving Ms. Tran Thi Tu, and requested that the Nghe An Newspaper investigate and raise the issue so that the public is aware, and so that relevant agencies can investigate and clarify the actions of those who disguised themselves as monks to seize people's property.

Mr. Vu Thai Quang wrote: "Currently in Vinh City and other areas in Nghe An province, there are some individuals impersonating Buddhist monks or nuns, selling incense door-to-door, soliciting many people to buy incense under the pretext of supporting temples to do good deeds, and using spiritual intimidation to force homeowners to refuse. The tactics of these individuals impersonating monks deceive many gullible and superstitious people, causing public outrage. Therefore, we earnestly hope that agencies and departments at all levels will cooperate to preserve the image of Buddhism and the reputation of temples in the locality..."

In fact, there have been instances in the province where some unscrupulous individuals have disguised themselves as monks to commit fraud and steal property. The police have also investigated several cases, such as the case of Nguyen Van De (born 1970, residing in Hamlet 5B, Nghia Dong Commune, Tan Ky District), who was caught red-handed by the Hong Son Ward Police (Vinh City) while impersonating a monk to defraud people. Therefore, people need to be highly vigilant against "strange" behavior from strangers to avoid being scammed and having their property stolen.

Ha Giang