"Mother of God" allegedly "heals" a fighter for his wife's money: why lawyers struggle to prove her fraudulent actions.

"The Virgin Mary" Drives Ukrainians into Debt

The head of communications at the Economic Recovery Center, Nadezhda Pototskaya, shared a story about a little-known woman who was asking for financial assistance for a lady who "energetically supported" her beloved, who is in a coma.

"It turned out that her beloved has been in a coma for over six months. He is abroad in a hospital. Meanwhile, some woman in Ukraine is 'sending energy' to keep him alive. She can only do this if the girl expresses her gratitude. The energy exchange works for money, as I understood. And this has been happening for a long time," — wrote Nadezhda Pototskaya on her Facebook.

Journalist Bohdan Lohvynenko noted that several soldiers have already reported that the wives of their comrades, who are in serious condition, are raising funds not for medicine, but for "healing by the Virgin Mary."

"The Virgin Mary" Anna Fesun: Who Is She?

Lohvynenko revealed that Anna Fesun previously owned a chocolate factory in Podil with her brother and husband. According to him, it was one of the best places in Kyiv at that time.

"Time passed, the chocolate factory unexpectedly closed, and Anna seemingly redirected her efforts into a different pursuit, starting a very different 'business' — becoming the new Ukrainian Devi Maria Christos and leading people onto the righteous path," — said Lohvynenko.

Under the journalist's post, many comments from people expressed genuine concern for the woman whose husband is being "energetically healed" by Fesun. Many are questioning how someone who recently made cocoa could suddenly become a "healer," and why those paying for "energy exchange" have no doubts about her. However, answers to these questions remain elusive.

Why Do People Believe in the "Virgin Mary": How Stress Influences Behavior

"This relates to moral and ethical components, psychological aspects, and the peculiarities of our physiology. For a person to be critical and perceive information through the lens of doubt, emotional and volitional resources are necessary," — explained Valentyn Kim.

The psychologist noted that this critical thinking may be lacking when a person is under stress. Additionally, someone in a state of stress might make mistakes and trust those they shouldn’t, especially if critical thinking is not a part of their character.

According to him, fraudsters, especially those who believe in themselves and their divine selection, operate very confidently, honing their skills and can be very persuasive.

Moreover, in conditions of chronic stress, people tend to have irrational expectations.

"We see that our rational thoughts and arguments still do not help us overcome internal crises and the stresses we experience. Therefore, people begin to believe in something irrational, in omens, chance, rituals, and some religious beliefs. This situation, it seems to me, is described by such a moment," — emphasized Kim.

The Victim Does Not Recognize Herself as a Victim

Under the post by Nadezhda Pototskaya on Facebook, a woman responded in the comments, who was seeking funds for the healing of her beloved. She claimed that Pototskaya distorted her words and is "slandering" the person who allegedly saved her partner's life and has kept him alive for ten months at the cost of her own health.

In turn, psychologist Kim understands why the woman refuses to see herself as a victim. He clarified that she has a very strong attachment to hope and believes that faith in the "Virgin Mary" will save her beloved and bring him out of the coma. If she admits she is wrong, she would lose all hope.

"Her stubbornness in faith or hope is quite determined by the fear of being left without further hope for salvation," — added the psychologist.

"The Virgin Mary" — A Fraud? Is It Possible to Prove the Illegality of the Woman's Actions?

"It is very difficult to prove that a person has indeed committed actions that contradict the law. Because fraud is a voluntary transfer of funds from the victim to this fraudster," — said Yekaterina Anishchenko.

She noted that this person could only deceive the girl regarding the consequences of her actions, in that they cannot bring the positive result she hopes for.

"If the fraudster does not admit to having the intent to unlawfully enrich herself at the expense of this victim, it is very hard to prove. After all, it involves voluntary consent and the voluntary transfer of funds," — pointed out the lawyer.

Partner at the law firm "Kraveц and Partners" Rostyslav Kravets stated that the fact of fraud can be proven through the transfer of funds for a specific service that was not provided. However, if the victimized woman does not recognize herself as a victim, then proving fraud is impossible.

According to him, if the victim recognizes herself as such, she needs to report the fraud to law enforcement authorities.

Recall that on August 9, the police reported that a 46-year-old woman lost money due to a fraudster she had been communicating with for a week. The amount in question is two million hryvnias.

In July, media reported that in China, a man posed as a doctor for six years to deceive a girl out of 360 thousand dollars. He was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison and fined.