'Loving her husband', young woman in Nghe An 'brags' about winning 49 billion Vietlott to commit fraud

On March 20, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of Le Thi Hien (27 years old), residing in Phuc Tho commune, Nghi Loc district, for the crime of "Fraudulent appropriation of property".

According to the records, around September 2017, Hien's husband, Tran Van Thang, intended to go to work abroad. Knowing that her husband had a herniated disc, Hien did not want him to go far away, so she lied to her husband and family that she had won 49 billion VND in the Vietlott lottery. Hien's purpose was to trick her husband and family into winning the lottery so that everyone would believe that Hien had money and her husband would not have to go to work abroad.

To carry out the above plot, Hien tricked her husband and her brother-in-law into going to Hanoi to complete the procedures to receive the Vietlott lottery winnings. However, when she arrived in the capital, Hien went in alone, telling her relatives to stay outside.

Defendant Le Thi Hien in court. Photo: Tran Vu

Due to difficult economic conditions, her husband and children were sick, and she did not have a stable job, Hien thought of a way to defraud and appropriate the property of Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy D. (born in 1989, living in the same locality). Ms. D. was a bank employee at the time, her family was well-off and related to Hien's husband's family.

To carry out the fraud, Hien used another phone SIM to text Ms. D. that Hien won 49 billion VND in Vietlott lottery. Hien told Ms. Duong that the money had been received by her husband's sister but had not been used because of the "negative side" and had to invite a shaman to perform a ceremony to resolve it. To make the act more perfect, Hien used another phone SIM to text Ms. D. claiming to be a shaman performing a ceremony for Ms. Hien.

At this time, Ms. D. confided in Hien that her parents and brother were in debt of about 5 billion VND. Understanding D.'s psychology, Hien proactively borrowed money "when the ceremony is finished, the Vietlott prize money will be paid in full, including principal and interest to Ms. D.".

In addition, Hien also told Ms. D. that one of Hien's two previously deceased children had reincarnated as Ms. D.'s second child. Hien promised to give this child some money, and also give D. money to pay off the family's debt. Believing this, Ms. D. transferred more than 2.4 billion VND to Hien many times.

In August 2018, Ms. D. asked Hien to pay. Because she had spent all her money, Hien continued to impersonate someone else and texted Ms. D. saying that she had an insurance package that was paid 20 billion VND but the due date had not yet come. If she wanted to pay, she would have to go through the paperwork. Trusting her, Ms. D. continued to transfer more than 4.7 billion VND to Hien.

Hien used the entire amount of more than 8 billion VND to buy cars, SH motorbikes, gold, household appliances, etc. to lend to relatives and to treat her children's illnesses.

After realizing she had been scammed, Ms. D. came to demand her money back. Hien returned to Ms. Duong more than 5.3 billion VND including cash and assets such as land, motorbikes, and cars that had been converted into money.

At court, the defendant admitted his crime. Defendant Hien cried and begged for a lighter sentence so he could go home and raise his child.

For the crime of “Fraudulent appropriation of property”, the court sentenced Le Thi Hien to 14 years in prison. The defendant was forced to return more than 2.6 billion VND.