Cops swoop on $3million 'Chinese blessing' scam targeting vulnerable Aussies in Sydney and Melbourne
NSW Police arrested a 63-year-old woman at Sydney Airport on Thursday night before taking her to Mascot Police Station.
She is accused of defrauding a 77-year-old woman out of $130,000 in cash and jewellery in Parramatta, in the city's west, in June.
Detective Superintendent Guy Magee told a press conference on Friday that police believed over 50 people were involved in the scam in Sydney and Melbourne.
He said the men act as the coordinators, while the women are tasked with convincing victims their wealth needed to be blessed to protect their families from spirits.
Supt Magee said the syndicate was 'targeting the entire east coast'.
'The offending could be double what we think,' he told reporters.
'There is an element of shame and humiliation for the victims... please don't be [ashamed] and let us stand alongside you.
'We're also calling out to the younger generations of these Asian communities to tell their parents and grandparents about this scam.
'Tell them they shouldn't be talking to strangers or taking them back to their homes.
'Tell them not to follow anyone to a herbal or spiritual healer.'
Police said it is the latest example of a scam aimed at people of Asian backgrounds, where alleged offenders 'exploit cultural fears'.
'Once the scammers are in possession of their money and valuables including jewellery, the items are swapped with items of no value and the women are encouraged not to open the bags for an extended time,' police said.
A police Strike Force has been in operation since April, investigating alleged blessing scams across Sydney since 2023.
Police have received reports of more than 80 incidents in that time and say the scams have netted a cool $3million in cash and valuables.
The 63-year-old woman arrested on Thursday was charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group, and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal.
She was set to face Parramatta Local Court on Friday after being denied police bail.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling new details emerge after the decomposed bodies of two men were found inside a Surry Hills inner-city terrace
Grim new details have emerged after the decomposed bodies of two elderly men were found inside a rundown terrace. Police made the grisly finds after they received a request to conduct a welfare check at a Cleveland Street home in Sydney 's inner-city Surry Hills on Thursday. The bodies of the men, aged in their 70s and 80s were found in different levels of the home, which was so decrepit that some shocked locals thought it was abandoned. Police say a woman was living with the bodies of two men for almost a month. Eleanor Barker, 63, has since spoken with detectives. Police say she isn't suspected of any wrongdoing involved the deaths. No arrests or charges have been laid. A police source told the Sydney Morning Herald the discovery was being considered as 'a sad story at this stage'. Neighbours told Nine News that Ms Barker had appeared 'upbeat' in recent days. Other neighbours recalled Ms Baker regularly but had not seen the men for 'quite some time'. The only obvious signs of the tragedy on Friday were police tape at the property and dozens of officers examining the home. Described as a hoarder's house, the home was infested with rats and birds. From the street, it appeared rundown, with piles of discarded items strewn across the front of the terrace. 'I mean I've always seen this house, I didn't know if people lived in it, but it doesn't really look like people do,' neighbour Aisha Mingai said. Police and forensic officers combed the property on Friday, where detectives seized electrical cables. Officers also doorknocked neighbours to gather more information. Police are now working to determine why the deaths went unreported for so long. Police also hope that autopsies will shed light of how and when the men died. The bodies were so decomposed that the identities of the men are yet to be confirmed. However, it's understood their bodies had no obvious signs of injury Neighbour Mitchell Morri told Nine News he often saw the men outside the house. 'They're really nice, I'd always pass them on the street. One of the guys used to have a VB longneck out the front,' he said. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Venomous snake bite wiped my memory – so I got to ‘meet' my girlfriend for a second time & fall in love all over again
A MAN who was bitten by a venomous snake and left with no memory of his girlfriend said he got to "fall in love" all over again. Mark Pelley unintentionally "ghosted" his now-wife Rebecca following the near fatal attack in Melbourne, Australia. 8 8 8 The snake hunter had just started dating his partner when he was bitten by a tiger snake and lost the ability to breathe. Unbeknown to his new love interest, he was rushed to hospital where he battled multiple organ failures and was left with temporary full retrograde amnesia. The condition causes individuals to lose the ability to recall memories or information from before an injury. Mark was reminded of his relationship when, after 10 days of not hearing from him, Rebecca texted him accusing him of "ghosting" her. The text read: 'Well if you don't want to talk to me anymore, you could have let me know.' The two then went on to 'fall in love all over again' and tied the knot this week. 'Before we met [again], I went through our texts so knew we were dating – and it was obvious in our messages how much I liked her,' Mark said. He added: 'I could see that I was chasing after her and she was playing a bit hard to get. 'When we met, I had to explain from the beginning how not only did I get bitten and get seriously injured, but I lost a huge part of my memory for a while and didn't remember her at all. 'I went through the whole ordeal and said 'I know from my journal notes that I'm in love with you, but I look at you right now and can't tell you a single thing about yourself or us. Gran, 55, found dead with head in the jaws of 23ft long python after she vanished while working in her garden 'I understand if that's too much to take in and because I don't remember you, it would be okay if you left'. 'Rebecca remained quiet for a bit and then said 'I look forward to making you fall in love with me all over again'.' Describing it as 'one of the most incredible moments' of his life, Mark said the moment he touched her hand again, he "instantly" felt love in his heart. He said: 'It shot from my palm of my left hand up my arm through my shoulder into my heart. What is amnesia? AMNESIA refers to the loss of memories, including facts, information and experiences, according to Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include, trouble learning new information and trouble remembering past events and previously familiar information. Most people with amnesia struggle with short-term memory and can't retain new information. Recent memories are most likely to be lost while ingrained memories may be spared. Individuals may recall experiences from childhood or know the names of past presidents. But they may not be able to name the current president, know the month or remember what they ate for breakfast. People with amnesia usually can understand written and spoken words and can learn skills such as bike riding or piano playing. They may understand they have a memory disorder. 'My heart recognised Rebecca even though my mind didn't. 'It was a very strange feeling love, but not know who I was in love with.' Rebecca said she felt 'awful' that she'd had no idea what was going on. She said: 'I don't watch the news so even though Mark's snake bite made headlines internationally, I was oblivious and thought he just stopped liking me.' Mark was bitten by the snake at a property in northern Melbourne after a piece of his equipment broke in March 2024. This was the first serious incident he had experience in his 14 years as a snake hunter. 8 8 8
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Football super-agent Jonathan Barnett accused of keeping woman as ‘sex slave'
Jonathan Barnett, a leading British sports agent who represented Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, is being sued in American district court over accusations of human trafficking, rape and torture. An unnamed woman filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that Barnett coerced the woman from Australia to the UK in 2017 and kept her as a 'sex slave' for six years, raping her over 39 times. She alleges that he 'trafficked, threatened, tortured and held' her in bondage across different locations around the world, including in Los Angeles, where the lawsuit has been filed. These threats alleged included those 'to her life and the lives of her minor children". The woman, who is referred to in the case as 'Jane Doe', has also sued Barnett's former employers Creative Artists Agency (CAA) - a Hollywood talent agency - which faces allegations that it 'used its employees and emissaries to assist Barnett in keeping' her as his 'sex slave'. Barnett and CAA have denied the allegations. 'The claims made in today's complaint against me have no basis in reality and are untrue,' Barnett said in a statement. 'We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.' Barnett, 75, retired last year after spending over 40 years as one of the most renowned sports agents, helping orchestrate Bale's world-record £85.3m move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. As well as Grealish, he also managed the likes of Ivan Toney and Jordan Pickford. He was ranked as the world's most powerful sports agent by Forbes in 2019. According to court documents, Barnett and Jane Doe first met in the 1990s through a professional athlete in London before reconnecting 27 years later, first online via LinkedIn before meeting in person. She was convinced to relocate to the UK from Australia with her teenage children, just weeks after getting back in touch in 2017, with Barnett's sports agency CAA Stellar covering moving expenses. The filing claims that she was raped in a hotel room in their first meeting as Barnett told her he 'owned' her. Barnett allegedly went on to impose strict rules of obedience on her, with the lawsuit saying she was made to refer to him as 'My Master'. The complaint goes on to describe that she would allegedly be 'tied up overnight without food or water' and would be forced to indulge in degrading acts such as drinking urine or ingesting faeces. 'This is a case about institutional abuse at the highest level,' the complaint reads. 'This case is about how one of the world's most powerful men in sports openly kept a sex slave for years, with the assistance of his employees, accountants, emissaries, and family members, and used his money and power to maintain coercive control over her and keep her in fear for her life and the lives of her children.' The lawsuit says that CAA 'knew or should have known' about the abusive behaviour, but the company strongly denies any prior knowledge of the complaints prior to first learning the allegations in January 2024. 'While the complaint attempts to connect these allegations to CAA's business, Ms. Doe has never been an employee, consultant, or contractor of CAA, ICM, or Stellar, nor has she ever had any business connection to CAA, ICM, or Stellar,' it said in a statement. Barnett was the co-founder of London-based sports agency Stellar Group in 1994 before it was sold to Hollywood agency ICM Partners in 2020. ICM later merged with CAA after being acquired by their larger rival. Jane Doe's lawyers are seeking compensation on her behalf. Barnett and CAA have 20 days to respond to the allegations by filing to the court.
