Chinese senior told she was 'cursed' in elaborate theft, police say
Toronto police have issued a public safety alert after three women allegedly convinced a Chinese senior that she was cursed as part of a distraction theft scam over the weekend.
Investigators say the incident happened on Saturday at around 2:30 p.m., when the senior was approached by three women while walking near Gerrard Street East and Logan Avenue.
The suspects allegedly discussed various health ailments with the victim in Cantonese and encouraged the woman to tell them about her own ailments.
Once the senior revealed her own troubles, police say the women convinced her that her ailments were the result of a curse and that she should see a "doctor" who could bless her and get rid of the curse.
The senior was instructed to go home and return with a large sum of money, gold coins and jewelry — which she did. When she returned one of the three suspects allegedly took the valuables claiming that they would be blessed.
Some time later the suspect returned and handed the bag back to the senior, telling her not to look in the bag for a number of days or the valuables would "lose their blessing."
The senior woman took her bag back and walked away. She then became suspicious and looked in the bag where she saw that her valuables had been replaced with fruit.
The suspects are described as:
- Asian woman in her 40s, wearing a long red coat, jeans and a hat
- Asian woman in her 40s, wearing a short red coat
- Asian woman
Investigators believe that there may be other victims and urge them to contact police.
