San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that her office has launched a public awareness campaign in partnership with several local community-based organizations to educate the public about blessing scams that are on the rise again. Blessing scams are essentially bait and switch schemes primarily targeting monolingual Chinese women where perpetrators claim to provide relief from a curse, an illness, or a ghost/spirit. The scammers offer to perform “purification” or “blessing” ceremonies in which cash and valuable items must be “blessed” as part of the process. The victim’s valuables are switched during the blessing ceremony.
“Unscrupulous scammers are back trying to defraud vulnerable victims in our city,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “My office will do everything we can to educate the public to prevent these incidents from happening, and also work to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that they face consequences for their crimes.”
Through the public awareness campaign Victim Services Division staff will make presentations to community members at community-based organizations and senior centers throughout the city. The public awareness campaign launched on February 5, 2024, with dozens of participants attending at Self-Help for the Elderly’s South Sunset Senior Center. Additional sessions are already scheduled with other Self-Help for the Elderly locations, as well as On Lok, Chinese Newcomers Service Center, and APA Family Support Services. Sessions are conducted in Cantonese and designed to educate and empower residents. Participants are encouraged to share what they learn with family, friends, and neighbors. The Victim Services Division has bilingual staff and materials available in various languages available to inform, educate, and support community members. To request a presentation please contact the Victim Services Division via email at: victimservices@sfgov.org or via phone at 628.652.4100.
“Our biggest nightmare is the return of the Blessing Scams in San Francisco targeting our seniors,” said Anni Chung, CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly. “Over sixty seniors have fallen prey to these scams in the past, losing their life savings and hard-earned money. We urge DA Jenkins to press charges on everyone who victimizes our seniors. The community presentations that the victim services division is offering to community members provide valuable information and resources to vulnerable residents to help keep them safe. Self-Help for the Elderly will do everything we can to protect our seniors.”
Blessing Scam incidents have been successfully prosecuted by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in the past. Any cases presented to the District Attorney’s Office will be carefully evaluated and filed when there is enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that suspects identified and arrested are guilty.
According to San Francisco police there have been two recent blessing scam incidents where the suspects were described as one Asian male between the ages of 50 to 60 years and two Asian females ranging in age from early 30s to 60 years old. All of the suspects were described as having black hair and brown eyes and were often wearing masks that covered their mouths.
Anyone who is confronted by scammers or anyone who knows of an elder who was approached by scammers is strongly advised to contact police. Reports can be made at any SFPD District Station or by calling Dispatch at (415) 553-0123 and requesting an officer to take a report.
Cantonese speakers can leave tips on a special tip line by calling (415) 553-9212 or1-855-737-3847.
Information can also be called into the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or via Text a Tip by texting a message to TIP411 and beginning the message with SFPD.
Some tips for community members:
• Don’t talk to strangers, especially about money or your personal information! You do not need to be polite.
• Recognize conversation starters to gain trust, such as, “What is your last name?” That’s my mother’s maiden name. Perhaps, we are from the same village or area.”
• Don’t believe a stranger who claims or demonstrates clairvoyance.
• Seek immediate advice from your support system such as family and friends, especially if they say, “Tell no one.”
• Be aware that the scam usually employs three or more people.
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立即發佈：
2024年2月8日，星期四
聯絡人：sfda.media@sfgov.org
***新聞稿***
地檢署發起新的公眾宣傳活動以提高社區成員對祈福騙局的關注
加州三藩市—三藩市地檢官謝安宜Brooke Jenkins今天宣佈，她的辦公室已與當地幾個社區組織合作發起了一項公眾宣傳活動，以教育公眾關注再次抬頭的祈福騙局。祈福騙局本質上是一種結合了誘餌和調包的詐騙手法，主要針對只會說一種語言的華人女性，詐騙者聲稱可以解除詛咒、消除疾病或解脫鬼魂/靈魂。詐騙者提出進行「淨化」或「祈福」儀式，並在此過程中要求對現金和貴重物品進行「祈福」。在祈福儀式上，受害者的貴重物品會被調包。
地檢官謝安宜Brooke Jenkins表示：「無恥的騙子捲土重來，試圖詐騙本市的弱勢受害者。我的辦公室將盡一切努力教育公眾防止這些事件的發生，並努力追究犯罪者的責任，確保他們為自己的罪行承擔後果。」
透過公眾宣傳活動，受害者服務部門的工作人員將向全市社區組織和長者中心的社區成員提供講座。這項公眾宣傳活動於2024年2月5日在安老自助處 (Self-Help for the Elderly) 的South Sunset長者中心啟動，有數十名參與者到場。其他安老自助處中心、安樂中心、新僑服務中心和亞裔家援服務中心 (APA Family Support Services)已經進行了或安排了額外的講座。講座以廣東話進行，旨在教育居民並使居民具有防範意識。鼓勵參與者與家人、朋友和鄰居分享他們學到的東西。受害者服務部門擁有雙語工作人員和多種語言的資料，可以為社區成員提供資訊、教育和支援。如需安排防罪講座，請透過電子郵件聯絡受害者服務部門：victimservices@sfgov.org或致電628.652.4100。
安老自助處行政總監鍾月娟Anni Chung表示：「我們最大的噩夢就是針對年長者的祈福騙局在三藩市捲土重來。過去有六十多名長者受到了此類詐騙，失去了畢生的積蓄和辛苦錢。我們敦促地檢官謝安宜Jenkins對所有傷害我們年長者的人提出指控。受害者服務部門面向社區成員進行的社區宣講為弱勢居民提供了寶貴的資訊和資源，以幫助確保他們的安全。安老自助處將盡一切努力保護我們的年長者。」
三藩市地檢署曾成功起訴過祈福騙局案件。如果在有充分證據以排除合理懷疑的情況下證明已查明和逮捕的嫌疑人有罪，提交給地檢署的任何個案都將經仔細評估並提交。
三藩市警方稱，最近發生了兩宗祈福詐騙事件，嫌疑人為一名年齡在50歲至60歲之間的亞裔男性和兩名年齡在30歲出頭至60歲之間的亞裔女性。據描述，所有嫌疑人都為黑髮和棕色眼睛，且通常戴著口罩。
任何遇到詐騙者或認識被詐騙者接近的長者的人士，強烈建議您與警方聯絡。 可以在任何三藩市警察局 (San Francisco Police Department, SFPD) 的分局進行報告，也可以致電非緊急熱線 (415) 553-0123。
講廣東話的人士可以撥打舉報專線 (415) 553-9212或1-855-737-3847進行舉報。
您也可以撥打匿名舉報專線 (415) 575-4444進行舉報，或向TIP411發送簡訊進行舉報，簡訊請以SFPD開頭。
給社區成員的一些提示：
• 請勿與陌生人交談，尤其是談論金錢或透露您的個人資訊！您不需要對所有人保持禮貌。
• 識別以騙取信任為目的的寒暄，例如「你姓什麼？我母親也姓這個。我們可能是老鄉。」
• 請勿相信聲稱或表現出有特異功能的陌生人。
• 尤其是當他們讓您「不要告訴任何人」時，請立即向您的支持系統（例如家人和朋友）尋求建議。
• 請注意，該騙局通常僱用三名或更多人員共同實施。
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