The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is investigating a possible connection between two separate blessing scams targeting senior women at bus stops in recent days. The victims reportedly lost more than $100,000 in cash, gold and jewellery combined.
In the first incident, on October 16 at about 1 p.m., an 81-year-old woman was waiting at a bus stop on Victoria Drive near East 37th Avenue when two unidentified women approached her.
The women spoke with the victim and learned information about her sons. A short time later, a male suspect joined them and allegedly convinced her that her sons could be healed if her valuables were blessed.
The woman returned home, collected approximately $7,000 in cash, a gold necklace and a ring, and handed them to the man. In return, he gave her a bag containing instant noodles and water. After returning home, the woman spoke with her daughter, who contacted police.
The second incident occurred on October 23 at about 10:30 a.m., when a 79-year-old woman was approached by an unidentified woman at a bus stop on Fraser Street near East 47th Avenue.
A second woman, dressed entirely in black and wearing a mask, joined them. She allegedly told the victim that her youngest son would die unless she brought her gold and money to be blessed by two men to remove bad spirits. The woman in black then accompanied the victim on a bus to her home to collect her valuables.
They returned to the area of Fraser Street and East 47th Avenue, where the victim handed over approximately $40,000 in cash and another $50,000 worth of gold and jewellery to two men.
After returning home, the woman opened her backpack and discovered that her money and valuables had been replaced with noodles and bottles of water.
“Vulnerable seniors were targeted in both of these incidents,” said Const. Darren Wong.
Police are asking anyone with information, or CCTV or dashcam footage that may have captured the interactions at the bus stops, to call the VPD non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.
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