Latest news with #HomebushWest
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying method scammer used to make Aussie WILLINGLY hand over their possessions after being approached on the street: '$200,000 gone'
A Sydneysider has lost $200,000 in a terrifying 'Chinese blessing scam', with loved ones convinced she was given a drug to comply with their demands. Mei Lin*, 85, was conned into handing over a haul of valuable jewellery and cash in a sophisticated street fraud, in Homebush West, when scammers told her the belongings needed to be 'blessed' to prevent harm to her family, on January 11, 2018. Close relative and barrister Laina Chan has claimed the fraud involved the scammers drugging Ms Lin by blowing scopolamine, also known as 'devil's breath', onto her. She said the police were 'very sceptical' when she said the fraud was part of a worldwide scam and didn't feel she was believed when she said 'they were using this drug'. Ms Lin feels embarrassed about falling victim to the scam and has never told her family what she was thinking when she handed over her prized possessions. The scam is believed to have originated in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s, and it has spread worldwide, with victims in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Elderly Chinese women are generally targeted with scammers exploiting cultural fears in the cruel con. Women are convinced their families are at risk from spirits and need to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curses or illness. Victims are tricked into handing over their prized belongings to be blessed, but once scammers are in possession of their money and valuables, the items are swapped with objects of no value. Scammers encourage the women not to open their bags for an extended time following the 'blessing'. Ms Lin was approached at a post box by a middle-aged Asian woman who claimed she was looking for a special herb needed to cure her injured daughter. A second woman pretended to overhear and said she knew a healer, before guiding Ms Lin away to a man who claimed to know the healer. The man shared his concern Ms Lin's daughter would fall ill if her belongings weren't blessed, and she was then escorted to her house where she filled a bag with $196,000 worth of jewellery. She then withdrew $5,000 and added the cash to her bag. Ms Chan said her relative doesn't believe in 'spiritual blessings' and said the idea Ms Lin handed over money without being under the influence is 'nonsense'. 'There's no way this would have happened but for the fact that they had used the drug and made her comply,' she told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'They come next to you, and they just blow a little bit at you, and you don't even realise they've blown a little bit of a drug at you, and just enough to make you really compliant, so you're hypnotised.' Scopolamine can be used in some medications to treat motion sickness, but the potent drug can also disorient and incapacitate users. Ms Lin has no recollection of when she handed over her bag, but she began to feel suspicious when she was told to keep the bag next to her bed for three months after it was returned to her. When she got home, Ms Lin opened the bag to find a bottle of water and two candles. She reported the scam to the police, but CCTV was never recovered and no arrests were made. The North West Metropolitan Region established Strike Force Sentinel to investigate these scams across Sydney from July 2023. Police have received reports for over 80 incidents across Sydney, including including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta and Hornsby areas. More than $3million in cash and valuables has been stolen by scammers. NSW Police have said 'there is no evidence or inquiries being made into the use of drugs to facilitate the scams'. In July, NSW Police charged two Chinese nationals and issued arrest warrants for seven others in connection with 85 reported scams over two years, which resulted in more than $3million being stolen. They say at least 50 scammers, 25 of whom have been identified, have been counted since the investigation began in 2023. *Mei Lin is not the victim's real name.
ABC News
10-05-2025
- ABC News
Man charged with murder after 65-year-old found dead in Sydney's west
A man has been charged with murder over the death of a 65-year-old man found inside a house in Sydney's west. Emergency services were called to the property in Courallie Avenue in Homebush West at about 11:30pm on Friday to conduct a welfare check. Earlier on Saturday, Superintendent Robert Toynton of NSW Police's Auburn command said the man's body was found in a granny flat at the back of the property. A knife was allegedly found at the home, police said. A 31-year-old man arrested at the scene and taken to Auburn Police Station, where he was charged following an investigation. Police said witnesses, including the people who made the welfare reports, were interviewed. Superintendent Toynton said police understood the two men were known to each other but were not related, so the incident was not being treated as a domestic violence matter. A report will be prepared for the coroner. The man has been refused bail and is scheduled to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.
ABC News
10-05-2025
- ABC News
Homicide investigation underway as 65-year-old found dead in Homebush West
Police have launched a homicide investigation after finding the body of a 65-year-old man at a home in Sydney's west Emergency services were called to the property in Courallie Avenue in Homebush West at about 11:30pm on Friday to conduct a welfare check. Superintendent Robert Toynton of NSW Police's Auburn command said on Saturday the man's body was found in a granny flat at the back of the property. A knife was found at the home, police said, but the cause of death would be confirmed in a post-mortem. A 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Auburn Police Station, where he is aiding police with their inquiries. Police said witnesses, including the people who made the welfare reports, were being interviewed. Superintendent Toynton said police understood the two men were known to each other but were not related, so the incident was not being treated as a domestic violence matter. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The Guardian
10-05-2025
- The Guardian
Man arrested after body found in Sydney home, police say
Homicide detectives are investigating a man's death after his body was found inside a suburban home. Emergency services were called to the property at Homebush West, in western Sydney, about 11.30pm on Friday after receiving concerned reports about a resident's welfare. Local police arrived to find the body of a 65-year-old man inside the home. A 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to a police station. He has not been charged. The two men were believed to know each other, investigators said on Saturday. Police set up a crime scene as they forensically examined the property after launching an investigation into the death. Detectives from the New South Wales homicide squad were helping local officers investigate the incident. Police are expected to provide an update on the investigation on Saturday afternoon.
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- News.com.au
NSW Police arrest man in Auburn after body found in home in Sydney's Homebush
A man has been arrested after a body was found in a home in Sydney's west. NSW Police were called to the home on Courallie Ave in Homebush West about 11.30pm on Fridays following reports of welfare concerns. Officers found the body of a 65-year-old man in the home upon arrival. The police said on Saturday morning they arrested a 31-year-old man at the scene. He was taken to Auburn Police Station. A man has been arrested after a body was found in a home in Sydney's west. NSW Police were called to the home on Courallie Ave in Homebush West about 11.30pm on Fridays following reports of welfare concerns. Officers found the body of a 65-year-old man in the home upon arrival. The police said on Saturday morning they arrested a 31-year-old man at the scene. He was taken to Auburn Police Station. Read related topics: Sydney
