The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office urges members of the Chinese community to be suspicious of strangers offering 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.

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.

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.

Victim Services Division staff will make presentations to community members at community-based organizations and senior centers throughout the city.  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.

Materials for community members

Click here to download double sided bilingual information card

Click here to download bilingual information window card 

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 or
1-855-737-3847.

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.

三藩市地方檢察官辦公室敦促華人社區成員對那些主動提供解咒、驅除疾病或鬼魂的陌生人保持懷疑。騙子主動提出進行「淨化」或祝福儀式，其中現金和貴重物品必須受到「祝福」，作為過程的一部分。 

祝福騙局本質上是誘餌和轉換計劃，主要針對只會說一種語言的華裔女性，犯罪者聲稱可以解除詛咒、疾病或鬼魂/靈魂。騙子提出要舉行「淨化」或「祝福」儀式，其中必須「祝福」現金和貴重物品。在祝福儀式期間，受害者的貴重物品會被交換。 

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。

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

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。

供社區成員使用的材料

點此下載雙面雙語資訊卡

點此下載雙語資訊視窗卡片

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。