'Pack of hyenas': $3m blessing scam preys on elderly
Two people have already been arrested and dozens more are under investigation for swindling multiple victims.
The scammers typically come to Australia from China for short stints to carry out the fraud, convincing older women their money and belongings need to be "blessed" to avoid bad luck, policy say.
"These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females," NSW Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said on Friday.
"They swarm like a pack of hyenas."
A 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving from China on Thursday night.
She is accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman out of about $130,000 in cash and jewellery.
The woman has been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal.
A man allegedly involved in the scam was arrested at Brisbane Airport while attempting to return to China.
NSW Police will seek extradition on Monday.
Police later revealed surveillance footage of an incident from October in the hope of identifying more members of the alleged scam syndicate.
In the video, a group of three women approach a 77-year-old lady at Blacktown, in western Sydney, before allegedly convincing her to hand over jewellery worth tens of thousands of dollars.
More than 50 individuals are believed to be connected to the sophisticated scam across the east coast of Australia, with 11 arrest warrants issued.
It is the latest example of a scam aimed at people of Asian backgrounds, where alleged offenders "capitalise on the vulnerabilities of that community around superstition", Det Supt Magee said.
"They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery."
The alleged scammers convince victims that items in a bag have been blessed and tell them not to open it, or they will face "bad fortune".
"Unfortunately, the victims are opening those bags to find their money and jewellery is simply not in there," Det Supt Magee added.
Police have received reports of more than 80 incidents across Sydney since 2023.
The scams allegedly netted $3 million in cash and valuables.
It is alleged that men control the syndicate, with women playing a role in engaging the victims and encouraging them to hand over valuables.
There are fears more crimes are going unreported due to shame and embarrassment.
"Anecdotally, the offending is probably at least double what we think," Det Supt Magee said.
Police have warned people to not hand over money or jewellery for blessing rituals.
Others have been urged to keep watch on older family members with limited English and warn them they could be the target of the orchestrated scams.
A "fly-in, fly-out" criminal syndicate is allegedly behind an orchestrated spiritual blessing scam that has netted millions by preying on elderly women.
Two people have already been arrested and dozens more are under investigation for swindling multiple victims.
The scammers typically come to Australia from China for short stints to carry out the fraud, convincing older women their money and belongings need to be "blessed" to avoid bad luck, policy say.
"These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females," NSW Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said on Friday.
"They swarm like a pack of hyenas."
A 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving from China on Thursday night.
She is accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman out of about $130,000 in cash and jewellery.
The woman has been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal.
A man allegedly involved in the scam was arrested at Brisbane Airport while attempting to return to China.
NSW Police will seek extradition on Monday.
Police later revealed surveillance footage of an incident from October in the hope of identifying more members of the alleged scam syndicate.
In the video, a group of three women approach a 77-year-old lady at Blacktown, in western Sydney, before allegedly convincing her to hand over jewellery worth tens of thousands of dollars.
More than 50 individuals are believed to be connected to the sophisticated scam across the east coast of Australia, with 11 arrest warrants issued.
It is the latest example of a scam aimed at people of Asian backgrounds, where alleged offenders "capitalise on the vulnerabilities of that community around superstition", Det Supt Magee said.
"They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery."
The alleged scammers convince victims that items in a bag have been blessed and tell them not to open it, or they will face "bad fortune".
"Unfortunately, the victims are opening those bags to find their money and jewellery is simply not in there," Det Supt Magee added.
Police have received reports of more than 80 incidents across Sydney since 2023.
The scams allegedly netted $3 million in cash and valuables.
It is alleged that men control the syndicate, with women playing a role in engaging the victims and encouraging them to hand over valuables.
There are fears more crimes are going unreported due to shame and embarrassment.
"Anecdotally, the offending is probably at least double what we think," Det Supt Magee said.
Police have warned people to not hand over money or jewellery for blessing rituals.
Others have been urged to keep watch on older family members with limited English and warn them they could be the target of the orchestrated scams.
A "fly-in, fly-out" criminal syndicate is allegedly behind an orchestrated spiritual blessing scam that has netted millions by preying on elderly women.
Two people have already been arrested and dozens more are under investigation for swindling multiple victims.
The scammers typically come to Australia from China for short stints to carry out the fraud, convincing older women their money and belongings need to be "blessed" to avoid bad luck, policy say.
"These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females," NSW Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said on Friday.
"They swarm like a pack of hyenas."
A 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving from China on Thursday night.
She is accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman out of about $130,000 in cash and jewellery.
The woman has been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal.
A man allegedly involved in the scam was arrested at Brisbane Airport while attempting to return to China.
NSW Police will seek extradition on Monday.
Police later revealed surveillance footage of an incident from October in the hope of identifying more members of the alleged scam syndicate.
In the video, a group of three women approach a 77-year-old lady at Blacktown, in western Sydney, before allegedly convincing her to hand over jewellery worth tens of thousands of dollars.
More than 50 individuals are believed to be connected to the sophisticated scam across the east coast of Australia, with 11 arrest warrants issued.
It is the latest example of a scam aimed at people of Asian backgrounds, where alleged offenders "capitalise on the vulnerabilities of that community around superstition", Det Supt Magee said.
"They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery."
The alleged scammers convince victims that items in a bag have been blessed and tell them not to open it, or they will face "bad fortune".
"Unfortunately, the victims are opening those bags to find their money and jewellery is simply not in there," Det Supt Magee added.
Police have received reports of more than 80 incidents across Sydney since 2023.
The scams allegedly netted $3 million in cash and valuables.
It is alleged that men control the syndicate, with women playing a role in engaging the victims and encouraging them to hand over valuables.
There are fears more crimes are going unreported due to shame and embarrassment.
"Anecdotally, the offending is probably at least double what we think," Det Supt Magee said.
Police have warned people to not hand over money or jewellery for blessing rituals.
Others have been urged to keep watch on older family members with limited English and warn them they could be the target of the orchestrated scams.
A "fly-in, fly-out" criminal syndicate is allegedly behind an orchestrated spiritual blessing scam that has netted millions by preying on elderly women.
Two people have already been arrested and dozens more are under investigation for swindling multiple victims.
The scammers typically come to Australia from China for short stints to carry out the fraud, convincing older women their money and belongings need to be "blessed" to avoid bad luck, policy say.
"These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females," NSW Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said on Friday.
"They swarm like a pack of hyenas."
A 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving from China on Thursday night.
She is accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman out of about $130,000 in cash and jewellery.
The woman has been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal.
A man allegedly involved in the scam was arrested at Brisbane Airport while attempting to return to China.
NSW Police will seek extradition on Monday.
Police later revealed surveillance footage of an incident from October in the hope of identifying more members of the alleged scam syndicate.
In the video, a group of three women approach a 77-year-old lady at Blacktown, in western Sydney, before allegedly convincing her to hand over jewellery worth tens of thousands of dollars.
More than 50 individuals are believed to be connected to the sophisticated scam across the east coast of Australia, with 11 arrest warrants issued.
It is the latest example of a scam aimed at people of Asian backgrounds, where alleged offenders "capitalise on the vulnerabilities of that community around superstition", Det Supt Magee said.
"They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery."
The alleged scammers convince victims that items in a bag have been blessed and tell them not to open it, or they will face "bad fortune".
"Unfortunately, the victims are opening those bags to find their money and jewellery is simply not in there," Det Supt Magee added.
Police have received reports of more than 80 incidents across Sydney since 2023.
The scams allegedly netted $3 million in cash and valuables.
It is alleged that men control the syndicate, with women playing a role in engaging the victims and encouraging them to hand over valuables.
There are fears more crimes are going unreported due to shame and embarrassment.
"Anecdotally, the offending is probably at least double what we think," Det Supt Magee said.
Police have warned people to not hand over money or jewellery for blessing rituals.
Others have been urged to keep watch on older family members with limited English and warn them they could be the target of the orchestrated scams.
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All reports are managed in a confidential manner and police use tools such as Language + App for a more effective communication with non-English speaking victims. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or Information is treated in strict confidence. Detectives investigating a multi-million-dollar spiritual blessing scam have arrested an alleged con artist who was attempting to return to the country. The 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport at 7.15pm on July 3 for her alleged involvement in a plot to steal money and jewellery from a 77-year-old woman in June. Police allege she was returning to Australia to "further offend". A 63-year-old man was arrested at Brisbane airport, allegedly attempting to fly to China, at 8am on July 4. "NSW Police will seek his extradition on Monday," police said. The arrests were part of an investigation into a Chinese blessing scam. "Alleged offenders - generally targeting elderly Chinese women - exploit their cultural fears," police said. Victims are told that their families are at risk from spirits and "need to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curse or illness", police said. Scammers pretend to bless bags full of cash and valuables, while swapping them out for items of no value. They encourage the victims not to open the bags for an extended period, police said. There have been more than 80 reports, with $3 million in cash and valuables stolen, from victims in Sydney including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta and Hornsby. The 63-year-old woman was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage - by deception, participating in a criminal group, contributing to criminal activity and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal. She was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on July 4. Police warned the community to be alert to scams seeking access to money and valuables, or people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. Anyone who may have been victim of a 'blessing scam' is urged to make a report to police. All reports are managed in a confidential manner and police use tools such as Language + App for a more effective communication with non-English speaking victims. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or Information is treated in strict confidence. Detectives investigating a multi-million-dollar spiritual blessing scam have arrested an alleged con artist who was attempting to return to the country. The 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport at 7.15pm on July 3 for her alleged involvement in a plot to steal money and jewellery from a 77-year-old woman in June. Police allege she was returning to Australia to "further offend". A 63-year-old man was arrested at Brisbane airport, allegedly attempting to fly to China, at 8am on July 4. "NSW Police will seek his extradition on Monday," police said. The arrests were part of an investigation into a Chinese blessing scam. "Alleged offenders - generally targeting elderly Chinese women - exploit their cultural fears," police said. Victims are told that their families are at risk from spirits and "need to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curse or illness", police said. Scammers pretend to bless bags full of cash and valuables, while swapping them out for items of no value. They encourage the victims not to open the bags for an extended period, police said. There have been more than 80 reports, with $3 million in cash and valuables stolen, from victims in Sydney including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta and Hornsby. The 63-year-old woman was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage - by deception, participating in a criminal group, contributing to criminal activity and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal. She was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on July 4. Police warned the community to be alert to scams seeking access to money and valuables, or people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. Anyone who may have been victim of a 'blessing scam' is urged to make a report to police. All reports are managed in a confidential manner and police use tools such as Language + App for a more effective communication with non-English speaking victims. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or Information is treated in strict confidence. Detectives investigating a multi-million-dollar spiritual blessing scam have arrested an alleged con artist who was attempting to return to the country. The 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport at 7.15pm on July 3 for her alleged involvement in a plot to steal money and jewellery from a 77-year-old woman in June. Police allege she was returning to Australia to "further offend". A 63-year-old man was arrested at Brisbane airport, allegedly attempting to fly to China, at 8am on July 4. "NSW Police will seek his extradition on Monday," police said. The arrests were part of an investigation into a Chinese blessing scam. "Alleged offenders - generally targeting elderly Chinese women - exploit their cultural fears," police said. Victims are told that their families are at risk from spirits and "need to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curse or illness", police said. Scammers pretend to bless bags full of cash and valuables, while swapping them out for items of no value. They encourage the victims not to open the bags for an extended period, police said. There have been more than 80 reports, with $3 million in cash and valuables stolen, from victims in Sydney including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta and Hornsby. The 63-year-old woman was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage - by deception, participating in a criminal group, contributing to criminal activity and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal. She was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on July 4. Police warned the community to be alert to scams seeking access to money and valuables, or people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. Anyone who may have been victim of a 'blessing scam' is urged to make a report to police. All reports are managed in a confidential manner and police use tools such as Language + App for a more effective communication with non-English speaking victims. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or Information is treated in strict confidence.
