Vancouver police warn of distraction theft targeting seniors
Three incidents reported in recent days; blessing scams resulted in thousands in losses.
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Vancouver police are warning the public about distraction thefts and blessing scams targeting seniors after three incidents in recent days.
On June 3, an elderly victim reported a distraction theft on Victoria Drive near East 28th Avenue. While the victim worked in their front yard, a black Kia Sportage SUV pulled up. The driver offered the victim a gold chain. As the victim was distracted, a woman in the backseat grabbed the victim's own gold chain necklace, breaking it and taking a piece.
Two blessing scams unfolded separately. On June 1, three unidentified women persuaded an elderly woman on Victoria Drive near East 27th Avenue to bring approximately $7,000 in cash, gold jewelry, and identification to be blessed by a "spiritualist." The victim handed over her items. The women returned what they claimed were her valuables in a bag with instructions not to open it for three days. When the victim opened the bag, her belongings had been replaced by water bottles.
On June 3, on the Downtown Eastside, three suspects persuaded an elderly woman to withdraw $70,000 cash from her safety deposit box in exchange for having her money blessed for good luck. She later discovered the cash had been swapped for three bags of cornstarch. In both blessing scams, the suspects spoke Cantonese.
Constable Darren Wong said the scams exploit cultural beliefs in spiritual protection. "We are encouraging our community members to engage in discussions with their elderly family members," he said. "These fraud artists are exploiting cultural beliefs in spiritual protection and we need to do our part to protect our elderly."
All three incidents remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Vancouver Police Department.