Fake "Psychic" Sentenced in Astana for 5.5 Million Tenge TikTok Scam

A resident of Astana has been sentenced to prison after posing as a psychic on social media to defraud citizens of large sums of money. According to the Astana Prosecutor's Office, the individual utilized the TikTok platform to claim he possessed "supernatural powers" and "healing abilities," offering magical services for a fee.

Investigations revealed that the fraudster targeted vulnerable users, including a woman seeking help for health issues, whom he convinced he could cure through "magical intervention." In total, he gained the trust of three separate victims, swindling them out of more than 5.5 million KZT. Rather than using the funds for any spiritual purposes, it was discovered that the self-proclaimed healer spent the entire amount on sports betting at various bookmaker offices.

During the court proceedings, the defendant fully admitted his guilt and compensated for a portion of the financial damages. However, considering the gravity of the crime and the scale of the fraud, the court sentenced him to 2 years and 4 months of imprisonment. The verdict has officially entered into legal force.