Five mainlanders have been arrested for deceiving three local elderly women in a “divine healer blessing scam” and also robbing one of them, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said in a special press conference yesterday.
The group of suspects consists of three women and two men, aged between 56 and 68, all from Guangdong.
According to Leng, the Judiciary Police received a recent tip-off about a blessing scam gang planning to defraud locals in Macau. On Monday, the police reached out to an elderly woman who had fallen prey to the gang. The woman told the police the gang had told her that her son was in “grave danger.” To resolve the situation, she gave 600 patacas to the gang.
Leng noted that upon the gang’s arrival in Macau that day, they promptly targeted elderly individuals in various markets and parks. Each member had a designated role: some scouted for elderly targets, others impersonated the wife of a “divine healer,” while male members kept watch.
The police also contacted two other local elderly women. While one of them became a victim and lost 9,000 patacas to the scam, the other victim recognised the scam and told the gang that she had no money. In response, one of the gang members forcefully opened the victim’s handbag and robbed her of 60 patacas.
The five suspects were arrested in a hotel in the city centre later that day. Police found 8,000 patacas on them. Under questioning, they admitted to the crime.
The quintet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of organised crime, fraud and robbery, Leng noted.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the five hooded fraud suspects to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
