SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, February 5, the San Francisco Police Department announced resources that are available to help those of the Chinese community who are being impacted by a series of blessing and healing scams.
The Police Department is informing all members of the Chinese community to be suspicious of strangers claiming to provide relief from a curse or illness or those who provide “purification” ceremonies in which cash and valuable items must be offered as part of the process.
The SFPD posted a video on their website to alert the public of the various ways to identify potential scammers, how to protect yourself from a scam, and reporting resources available to scam victims.
In two recent cases, the suspects were described as one Asian male between the ages of 50 to 60 years and two Asian females ranging in age from early 30s to 60 years old. All of the suspects were described as having black hair and brown eyes and were often wearing masks that covered their mouths.
Anyone who is confronted by scammers or anyone who knows of an elder who scammers have approached is advised to contact the police. Reports can be made at any SFPD District Station or by calling Dispatch at (415) 553-0123 and requesting an officer to take a report.
Cantonese speakers can leave tips on a special tip line by calling (415) 553-9212 or 1-855-737-3847.
Information can be called into the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or via Text a Tip by texting TIP411 and beginning the message with SFPD.
The police department works closely with San Francisco’s multilingual communities to identify and address specific safety concerns. The SFPD currently has hundreds of officers that speak more than 30 different languages. The department is encouraging all bilingual officers to become certified to provide Limited English Proficiency (LEP) services to community members.
