‘Black magic’ scams prompt Malaysia police warning for elderly to be on their guard

Police in Malaysia’s Johor state have warned the public to be on their guard against so-called black magic syndicates who often target elderly people in markets and supermarkets. Scammers will typically approach their victims and start chatting to get information on their families and background, said Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat. “From there, the suspects will say that the victims’ loved ones could be in danger or that bad luck awaits them if they do not seek help, usually from a shaman, to turn their fate around,” he said. “The victims will then be brought to an area away from the public’s eye like a house or car before asking them to hand over their money or valuables for the ‘treatment’ or ‘ritual’.” Victims often later claimed they were not aware of handing over their money and jewellery, Kamarul Zaman said. “By the time they snapped out of it, the suspects had already made off with the valuables,” he said. He urged the public, particularly elderly people, to be alert when out and about, especially when being approached by strangers. “Always check with family members or the authorities before deciding to hand your belongings or make payments to strangers,” Kamarul Zaman said. How black magic beliefs breed prejudice in modern Hong Kong The police warning follows a raft of related cases, including of a 72-year-old woman who said she was approached by three strangers at a wet market in June. The woman, who only wanted to be known be her surname Tan, said she was approached by the first of the scammers while trying to load her shopping into her car. “She wanted to seek help for her husband who recently suffered a misfortune that had led to a string of health problems,” Tan said. “Then a second woman came along, saying she could recommend a physician. Although I felt odd, somehow I followed them as they walked towards an alley.” When we got into the car, she started asking me about my children, personal savings and jewellery. Surprisingly, I told her everything Tan, 72, recalling her run in with ‘black magic’ scammers Moments later, a third woman approached claiming to be the daughter-in-law of the doctor. “She took one look at me and told me that bad luck had befallen my family and suggested we go to a quieter place – her car – where she could tell me more,” Tan said. “When we got into the car, she started asking me about my children, personal savings and jewellery. Surprisingly, I told her everything. She then told me to go home and put all my valuables in a paper bag and fill it with uncooked rice before handing it over to her to perform a ritual to ward off the bad luck.” Tan says she is now convinced she would have become a victim of a pukau (black magic) scam if she hadn’t had to leave mid-conversation because of an upset stomach. In another case, a 68-year-old woman named Ng lost about 40,000 ringgit (US$8,800) worth of savings and jewellery to three scammers she met at another wet market on June 3. The strangers, estimated to be in their 40s and 50s, had approached Ng one by one. The first woman asked Ng if she knew where to buy Chinese herbs. A second woman then joined in, claiming that she knew a sifu (master) who would give free treatment and offered to drive them to him. Ng said when they got to the car, she saw another woman inside. This third woman told Ng that bad luck would befall her children and that she should seek help from the sifu. They convinced me to return home and place my money and jewellery into a paper bag before meeting them again for a ritual to ward off the bad luck Ng, 68, recounts how she was scammed by a ‘pukau’ syndicate “They convinced me to return home and place my money and jewellery into a paper bag before meeting them again for a ritual to ward off the bad luck,” Ng said. “I could only remember them telling me to hold onto the paper bag tightly while chanting my children’s name until they left.” To her horror, Ng later discovered that the paper bag contained only two bottles of water and a small bag of rice. She believes that she was put into a “trance” by the three women. Although there have been many cases where victims of such scams claim they were “hypnotised”, medical professionals at the Malaysian Society of Clinical Hypnosis (MSCH) said the scammers were not using actual hypnosis. “Pukau or being put under a spell is not hypnosis. Pukau is usually associated with an intention to manipulate and cause harm,” MSCH President Dr Thema Abdul Majid said. “It is used without consent where techniques such as charming language, touch, staring into the eyes and a shock factor are used to scare the victims into thinking that they may be in grave danger if they do not seek help. This usually involves handing over their valuables in exchange for certain rituals.” Thema said the actions of pukau scammers had led to hypnotherapy being cast in a negative light. “Patients usually seek hypnotherapy to address health concerns like anxiety, phobias, weight management, smoking cessation, terminal illness, pain management, unhealthy habits, insomnia, childhood or adolescent issues, and substance abuse,” she said. Malaysia breaks up scam ‘shaman’ syndicate from China who preyed on older women “It is important to note that during hypnosis – unlike what is typically depicted on TV shows – the patient, while feeling relaxed and comfortable, is fully in control … It is done with consent and patients can open their eyes any time and reject whatever that does not resonate with them. “It is definitely not a practice of putting the patients into a trance by just snapping our fingers,” she added. In Malaysia, formal training for clinical hypnotherapy was introduced in 2006, Thema said. This article was first published in two parts by The Star