Two seniors lost almost $100,000 in cash and jewelry in separate blessing scams: VPD

Vancouver police are investigating two blessing scams targeting seniors at bus stops. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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Vulnerable seniors are being targeted at bus stops by scammers, who have stolen thousands of dollars from two elderly women in separate blessing scams a week apart, said Vancouver police.

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The first incident occurred on Oct. 16 at around 1 p.m. when an 81-year-old woman was waiting at a bus stop on Victoria Drive near East 37th Avenue.

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She was approached by two Asian women who chatted with her and got information from her about her sons. A man later joined them and convinced the senior her sons could be healed if her valuables were blessed.

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The senior went home to get about $7,000 in cash, a gold necklace and a ring and handed them over to the man. She later discovered the man handed her back a bag containing instant noodles and water. The victim’s daughter called police.

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In the second incident, which occurred at around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 23, a 79-year-old woman was approached by two women at a bus stop on Fraser Street and East 47th Avenue.

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One of the women, who wore a mask and was clad in black, told the senior her youngest son would die if she didn’t bring her gold and money to be blessed to get rid of bad spirits.

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The woman went back with the victim to her home on the bus, then returned back to the area of the bus stop, where the senior handed over about $40,000 in cash and gold and jewelry worth about $50,000 to two men.

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When she got home, she found the money and valuables in her backpack had been replaced with noodles and water bottles.

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Vancouver police said it’s investigating whether the incidents are linked.

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It appealed for people with information, or who may have recorded the interactions at bus stops on CCTV or dashcam footage, to call the Vancouver police’s non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.

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Earlier this summer, Vancouver police said blessing scams targeting elderly Chinese victims were on the rise. In July, it warned that police have received reports of 13 blessing scams with victims losing more than $300,000 in cash and valuables. More than half of these incidents occurred in east and southeast Vancouver.

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