A 57-year-old housewife became the latest victim of the 'spiritual blessing' street scam after she was cheated out of her life savings of $810,000 in cash and gold in Tuen Mun yesterday. The incident, the third and biggest since the new year began, prompted police to warn the public to be wary of strangers.
The number of blessing victims, all women, increased by 49.2 per cent to 212 last year from 142 in 2003, involving a loss of $20 million, compared with $13 million in 2003.
Three female con artists approached yesterday's victim outside Siu Hong Court at about 11.30am, claiming her family was having bad luck and her children would be killed in a disaster.
They said they could hold a ritual to get rid of the bad luck but needed money and valuables for a ritual offering. The victim withdrew $700,000 from two banks and collected $60,000 and gold ornaments worth about $50,000 from her home.
When she returned home after the ceremony and opened her handbag, she discovered the cash and ornaments were missing. Police tried but failed to find the suspects.
On Friday a 49-year-old woman in Tsing Yi lost $300,000 in the same manner. Four days earlier, a 41-year-old woman in Tai Po lost $132,000.
