<p>The San Francisco Police Department is urging members of the Chinese community to be on alert for blessing scams following several recent cases in which criminals stole approximately $374,000 in cash and property from victims, San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott announced Tuesday.</p>
<p>The cases, which began in late November and have continued into January, involve Chinese-speaking perpetrators preying on the kindness and beliefs of vulnerable community members. The suspects often claim to provide relief from a curse or illness of family members through “purification ceremonies” in which they instruct victims to place cash and valuables into a bag to be “blessed.” The scammers tell the victims to open the bag at a later date in order for the “blessing” to take effect.</p>
<p>When the victims finally open their bags, and discover their valuables were switched, the suspects are long gone. Similar cases have occurred for years in San Francisco with criminals often coming to the city around the holidays and Lunar New Year to take advantage of victims.</p>
<p>“These crimes against our most vulnerable community members are unacceptable, and we are working diligently to identify the suspects and bring them to justice,” said SFPD Chief Bill Scott. “As we continue investigating these crimes, we want our community members to stay vigilant to prevent blessing scams by continuing to talk to one another daily and working with SFPD to report these crimes.”</p>
<p>“Every year, members of our community are targeted by bad actors preying on vulnerable populations, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. These scams are against the law, and we will arrest people committing crimes against our neighbors,&#8221; said Mayor Daniel Lurie. &#8220;I am urging everyone: Look out for red flags, report suspicious activity, and stay safe.“</p>
<p>“Blessing scams are not new and are becoming increasingly brazen,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “These despicable scams rob innocent victims of their hard-earned money and also take their dignity as well, as victims often feel deep shame. My office will continue to work with the San Francisco Police Department and law enforcement to educate the public in order to prevent these cases from happening and will not hesitate to prosecute cases.”</p>
<p>The recent series involves at least seven cases. They include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Nov. 23, when criminals stole $90,000 in cash and property from a 69-year-old woman in the Bayview District.</li>
<li>Nov. 24, when criminals stole $40,000 in cash and property from a 75-year-old woman in the Taraval District.</li>
<li>Dec. 12, when criminals stole $70,000 in cash and property from a 79-year-old woman in the Bayview District.</li>
<li>Dec. 14, when criminals stole $14,000 in cash and property from a 72-year-old woman in the Central District.</li>
<li>Dec. 16, when criminals stole $91,000 in cash and property from a 69-year-old woman in the Central District.</li>
<li>Dec. 17, when criminal stole $7,000 in cash and property from a 69-year-old female in the Ingleside District</li>
<li>Jan. 2, when criminals stole $62,000 in cash and property from a 77-year-old female in the Richmond District.</li>
</ul>
<p>Photographs of suspects and a vehicle are seen above. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.</p>

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