Two alleged fraudsters accused of swindling an elderly woman out of tens of thousands of dollars in cash have been arrested by Australian police investigating a spate of \u201cChinese blessing scams.\u201d <\/p>\n
Chinese blessing scams have been reported worldwide for the last 25 years or so, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. <\/p>\n
Offenders typically target elderly Asian women and convince them that a member of their family is cursed or in danger. Victims are told the only way to ward off negative spirits is to have their wealth blessed. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a robbery by stealth. These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian, older females. They swarm like a pack of hyenas,\u201d said New South Wales Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee. <\/p>\n
A 63-year-old woman was detained at Sydney International Airport Thursday after \u201cextensive inquiries\u201d by Strike Force Sentinel, a special task force formed in April to investigate 80 reports of the scams, involving the alleged theft of 3 million Australian dollars ($2 million). She\u2019s been charged with a number of offenses. <\/p>\n
Her alleged accomplice, a 63-year-old man, was detained Friday at Brisbane Airport as he attempted to leave Australia on a flight to China. He\u2019s expected to be charged soon. <\/p>\n
Detective Superintendent Magee said Friday the alleged perpetrators of Chinese blessing scams are targeting the entire east coast of Australia. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll fly in. They\u2019ll prey on the vulnerable in their own community. They\u2019ll capitalize on the vulnerabilities of that community around superstition,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Typically, the elderly victim is taken to someone purporting to be a spiritual healer, who tells them to put their money and valuables in a bag. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey will convince them that it\u2019s been blessed, and they\u2019ll tell them not to open that bag for a period of time, up to months. And if they do, they will come across bad fortune,\u201d said Magee. <\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, the victims are opening those bags to find their money and jewelry is simply not in there. It\u2019s disgraceful.\u201d <\/p>\n
The two suspects arrested this week are accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman of cash and jewelry worth 130,000 Australian dollars ($85,000) in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta in June. <\/p>\n
NSW Police say they believe 50 people are involved in the scam, and they\u2019ve identified 25 suspects by name. Another 25 people have been seen on camera allegedly taking part. Eleven arrest warrants have been issued. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a role play. There\u2019s nothing by chance in what they do, they all have deliberate roles,\u201d said Magee. <\/p>\n
He said police believe the crime is \u201cprofoundly underreported\u201d due to the victims\u2019 embarrassment and shame about being conned. The number of cases is \u201cprobably double\u201d police estimates, he added. <\/p>\n
Last November, New Zealand Police arrested three Chinese nationals as they attempted to leave the country on flights to China after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars. <\/p>\n
Police allege the trio arrived in the country that October and within days started targeting elderly members of the community. <\/p>\n
The alleged scammers conned two victims out of about 30,000 New Zealand dollars ($18,000) in cash and jewelry, police said in a statement. <\/p>\n
A \u201csubstantial amount\u201d of money was retrieved, they added. <\/p>\n
NSW Police issued advice to the community to beware of people asking directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. <\/p>\n
\u201cDo not bring strangers home,\u201d the advice said. Do not hand any valuables to strangers and \u201cdo not put money or jewellery in a bag for any blessing ritual,\u201d it added. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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