"Ghost Scammers" Continue to Prey on Cantonese Speakers in San Francisco

Police are seeking three Cantonese-speaking suspects who they said robbed victims of some major money. In one case, a woman was taken for $80,000 in cash and $40,000 in jewelry. The victims were coaxed into bringing them a bag with large amounts of valuables in it for a "blessing," according to police. 

“Through sleight of hand, another bag containing worthless items was given back to the victim,” police wrote in a press statement emailed to the press. “The victim was instructed not to look in the bag for a specified amount of time or the ‘blessing’ would be invalidated. 

As previously reported, these scammers, who prey on the cultural beliefs in the Cantonese community in San Francisco, are not entirely original. Con artists have targeted elderly Chinese women in San Francisco since 2012, exploiting their system of beliefs and sense of duty to protect their children.

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