Scammers swindled $1.3 million from villagers by forcing them to look for fake treasures (2 photos)

The scammers created their own treasure maps using aged paper and assured locals that they could find a "treasure" - gold, statues, historical artifacts.





When people believed them, the scammers forced them to dig in certain places, and they found pre-prepared "artifacts".

Then, according to the scheme, the victims of the deception met with a "priest" who convinced them via video link that they would only be able to sell their finds abroad. For help, they had to pay a certain amount. In total, the criminals collected $1.32 million this way.

As a result, the victims of the scammers' actions became suspicious and contacted the police.

The gendarmerie organized an operation in nine provinces, during which 25 people were detained.

The scammers were found to have figurines, SIM cards, weapons and money. The trial is currently ongoing.