B.C. woman loses $37K in valuables to ‘fake healing ritual,’ RCMP says

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Mounties are warning the public after a woman was allegedly defrauded of $37,000 in valuables during a “fake healing ritual” in Richmond, B.C.

A statement Friday from the local RCMP detachment says investigators are now looking for three Cantonese-speaking suspects who are accused of perpetrating the scam.

The fraud occurred between 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, and was reported to police the following day after the victim told a family member about it, according to the statement.

The victim told investigators she was approached by two women and one man who convinced her they could perform a healing ritual to improve her health and rid her of bad luck, according to police.

‘Extremely worrisome’

During the course of the scam, the suspects reportedly directed the woman to visit multiple locations and ultimately hand over $37,000 worth of valuables.

“Fortunately, the victim was not physically harmed but the face-to-face nature of this offence, coupled with directing the victim to different locations, makes it extremely worrisome,” Cpl. Adriana O’Malley said in the statement.

“It’s extremely important that if approached by someone claiming to have special healing powers you should walk away, get to a safe location and then report it to police,” she added.

The Richmond RCMP’s front-line officers have taken conduct of the investigation, describing it in the statement as “active and ongoing.”

Investigators described the first suspect as an Asian woman between 30 and 40 years old, standing approximately 4’11” tall with long black hair.

The second suspect is described as a 60-year-old Asian woman with a fair complexion and long black hair. She stands approximately 5’3” and speaks Cantonese with a Mandarin accent.

Police say the third suspect is an Asian man between 50 and 60 years old. He stands approximately 5’7” tall with a medium complexion and greying brown hair. He speaks Cantonese with a Mandarin accent and was wearing a blue overcoat at the time.

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact the Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be provided online at www.solvecrime.ca.