Iron-destroying stones, meteorites, stones that cure snake bites, self-fragrant stones… are common scams. Unfortunately, many people still lose millions due to these traps.
Miraculous Stones with Sky-High Prices
The Criminal Investigation Department of Binh Duong Province Police is investigating a complaint from Ms. L.T.N (residing in Lam Dong Province) who reported a group of people accepting a deposit to sell her a miraculous stone called “iron-destroying stone” worth 200 billion VND but then did not deliver the product and disappeared…
Ms. N. stated that in early March 2022, she became acquainted with Mr. K.S from Dak Lak Province. Mr. S. told her that someone needed to sell a stone with the ability to destroy iron. Ms. N. informed a friend, Mr. D. (residing in Binh Duong), who agreed to buy it on the condition that he could see the stone first.
A demonstration of the iron-destroying stone by the scammer.
Mr. L.Q.H introduced himself as a Colonel, head of a department in the Binh Duong Province Police, and said: “This stone is a family heirloom. My family has entrusted me to sell it, and the price is 200 billion VND. If you are seriously interested in buying, I will take you to see the stone tomorrow morning.”
Mr. H. claimed this stone was similar to a rare type of bronze that only exists… in the sky! He mentioned that if there was a deal to sell this stone to NASA, it could yield hundreds of millions of dollars. After signing the sales contract and paying a deposit of 1 billion 20 million VND, Ms. N. was unable to contact Mr. H. again and reported the matter to the police.
This is not the first miraculous stone scam. Many scams involving billions of VND have occurred, where stones are claimed to be “miraculous.” The most common method is the meteorite scam. Many scammers advertise miraculous meteorites with unbelievable uses, pricing them at up to a million USD.
A notable meteorite scam occurred in 2017. In January 2017, Nguyen Van Hung (50 years old, residing in Nguyen Van Thanh Commune, Binh Tan District, Vinh Long) used a lead ball wrapped in PP plastic to introduce to Mr. H.T.N. (40 years old, residing in Tan Thien Ward, Dong Xoai Town, Binh Phuoc) that this was a “meteorite” capable of shattering glass, cracking thermometers, transforming liquids into solids, and destroying the flint of a gas lighter… Hung offered it for 1 million USD, requiring the buyer to pay a deposit of 600 million VND. After Mr. N. traveled to Vinh Long to pay the deposit, Hung fled the area.
A fake meteorite.
Previously, there was also a case where a group of people from Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City came to Can Tho City to “conduct transactions” for meteorites valued at billions of USD. During the investigation, eight suspects in the group admitted that they were introduced by another group who had “heavenly goods” just brought from the Cambodian border with selling prices ranging from 350 million to 450 million USD per kg.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Phuong from the Vietnam National University stated that these scams primarily occur due to the victims’ lack of knowledge.
In Vietnam, there is a type of stone that can be easily mistaken for meteorites, known as tectite. In regions like Lam Dong, Cao Bang, and Yen Bai, tectite is sold for several hundred thousand VND per kg, but it is inflated and sold as meteorite at very high prices. Meteorites are not precious metals like gold or diamonds; in fact, meteorites can contain radioactive elements that pose health risks.
Inflating Value to Scam
Professor Dr. Phan Truong Thi, Director of the Vietnam Gemstone, Gold, and Jewelry Institute, emphasized that the trade of strange stones nowadays is mostly a scam. By inflating the value and introducing spiritual and mystical elements, sellers deceive buyers with fairly old tricks. Many even claim to possess unique stones, such as those that can glow or stones that can absorb snake venom…
In nature, there is no stone that possesses the miraculous abilities mentioned above. It could be fabricated or perhaps those stones are artificially made to exhibit what are claimed to be strange features. No stone can emit fragrance or glow by itself or cure snake venom. Pricing or selling these stones for billions of VND each is purely illusory and unfounded, as these stones are no different from “fake goods” and hold no real value.
“There is no basis to claim that these stones are worth billions of VND. All these features are either created by humans or assigned to the stones. The stones themselves do not possess such miraculous abilities. Therefore, one should be cautious of this scam,” Professor Phan Truong Thi stated.
Especially, according to Professor Phan Truong Thi, there are many different chemicals that can be used to create the strange features of stones. In his laboratory, someone once brought a stone said to glow for identification, but in reality, the stone had been dipped in a strontium carbonate chemical solution so it easily glowed like a child’s toy. The stone itself cannot glow.
To create fragrance, many different chemicals can be used. With just a few simple steps, one can transform an ordinary stone into a stone with a strong fragrance. Moreover, these stones have no special features, so their pricing is very vague.
“In folklore, there is a story about a type of seed that can absorb snake venom. This seed comes in black and red varieties. People grind the seeds and apply them to snake bite wounds to absorb the venom. Perhaps they ground this seed and pressed it into a shape resembling a stone, but no stone can absorb snake venom. Or they may exploit the coldness of the stone to soothe the venom, but these methods are unfounded, life-threatening, and should not be trusted,” Professor Phan Truong Thi advised.
As for the iron-destroying stone mentioned in recent news, according to Professor Thi, it is a very clear scam. The buyer in this case was too naive, lacking basic knowledge and superstitious, which led to their deception.
“One must be alert to the miraculous stone scams. No stone possesses features that exceed reality; users should stay vigilant,” Professor Dr. Phan Truong Thi advised.
