‘Mystic’ indicted for defrauding follower out of NT$516m

LEVERAGING FAITH: On top of the money, Hsieh, a so-called ‘Buddha,’ convinced her follower to purchase real-estate and put it under her name

A woman who claimed to be Buddha and a “spokesperson of Buddha” to a group of followers in Taichung has been indicted for defrauding a person of NT$516.03 million (US$15.71 million) over a decade, prosecutors said yesterday.

The 49-year-old woman, surnamed Hsieh (謝), began presenting herself to the public as a spiritual master in 2010, attracting followers, the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office said in the indictment.

Hsieh would allegedly “alter the tone of her voice” to encourage the idea that she possessed supernatural powers to grant any request and told her followers that “Buddha has descended,” the indictment said.

The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Chen Chien-chi, Taipei Times

According to a United Daily News report, Hsieh met her victim, the chairwoman of a Taichung property development company, at a social gathering in 2013.

MILLIONS GONE

After the woman became Hsieh’s follower, the “spiritual master” allegedly began pressing her for donations, saying that the money would be put toward building a temple or help the woman “accumulate spiritual merit,” the report said.

Prosecutors said Hsieh allegedly leveraged her victim’s religious beliefs to defraud her out of NT$516 million, which she used to buy a villa in Changhua County, a Lamborghini sports car, and multiple designer bags and watches.

Hsieh allegedly convinced the woman to purchase three real-estate properties and register them under Hsieh’s name, the indictment said.

Hsieh’s influence over her victim continued until 2023, when she allegedly demanded another NT$160 million in donations to move to Singapore, saying that the woman would be “struck dead” if she refused, the United Daily News reported.

After Hsieh continued saying she was “owed at least NT$50 million,” the victim realized she was being defrauded and filed a police report, the report said.

‘NO REMORSE’

In the indictment, prosecutors said Hsieh had allegedly wiped out the assets her victim had accumulated over her lifetime.

Despite this, Hsieh has denied any wrongdoing, said witnesses were colluding against her, refused to pay compensation and showed no signs of remorse, the indictment said.

Hsieh was aided in her efforts by a woman surnamed Lai (賴), who was hired as a finance executive at the victim’s company under arrangements made by Hsieh, prosecutors said.

Although Lai allegedly knew that Hsieh was not a deity, she pressured the victim to continue making donations, telling her she should “listen to the Buddha” and not risk all the spiritual merit she had accumulated, the indictment said.

Lai allegedly fabricated cash flow records and business contracts, helping create the appearance that Hsieh possesses legitimate financial means, the indictment added.

Taichung prosecutors indicted Hsieh and Lai yesterday on charges including fraud, business embezzlement, forging documents and perjury.