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SBS Australia
09-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Police seeking 'piranhas' involved in $3 million blessing scams
Seven "predators" are believed to have fled to China after robbing "huge amounts of money" and jewellery in a so-called spiritual blessings scam in NSW, police said. Two people have been charged in Australia and a third is in custody in New Zealand, the force added, after more than 80 instances of the scam in Sydney, with more than $3 million in cash and valuables stolen. Spiritual blessing scams are where victims are coerced into placing cash and jewellery in a bag, and told the bag needs to be blessed by a spiritual healer before it is returned empty. Assistant commissioner Gavin Wood told reporters: "They are like piranhas. They are circling around people and robbing them of, in times, huge amount of money and their jewellery and their trusted property. "There are no rules with these people. They're predators. When they see an opportunity where they need to work as a group, they will work as a group. I've seen the footage of them in action, to use that term. "It is sad to see. It is extremely sad to see how they act." Wood added that police were appealing to the Chinese community to be aware of the scam. He added: "There are two people in the last two weeks that have been criminally charged, and are now in custody and they're before the courts. There will be more. "So I say to the people in the Chinese community — please be aware of it. Please have confidence in the NSW Police force to come forward and present any evidence or information if you have been subject to a blessing scam." The latest person charged in the investigation is a 62-year-old man who was extradited from Queensland. Police will allege in court that the charged man was involved in defrauding a 77-year-old woman of a large sum of money and jewellery at Parramatta in June. He was further charged with participating in criminal group activity and demanding property in company with menaces with intent to steal. What are spiritual blessing scams? Spiritual blessing scammers approach victims in public, often working in pairs or groups. They will ask a victim if they know a spiritual healer and escalate the conversation, telling the victim their family are in danger and they will need to seek a spiritual blessing. Often they threaten that the person or their family will be seriously injured if they don't have their wealth blessed.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- ABC News
Warrants issued for seven people over alleged 'blessing scam' that police say was worth $3 million
Police have revealed Chinese scammers are flying in and then flying out after targeting vulnerable people in Sydney's migrant community to the tune of millions of dollars. NSW Police have issued warrants for seven people who they accuse of "blessing scams". Police said the alleged scammers would promise to bless a person's wealth, after convincing them their family was cursed, before making off with thousands in cash and jewellery. The offenders would swap them with fakes and put them in a bag, which they are told not to open for an extended period of time. Police said more than $3 million been swindled from more than 80 people since July 2023, NSW Police said, from areas including Ryde and Burwood, which have large Chinese communities, as well as Parramatta and Hornsby. In one example from this January, police said a 47-year-old woman believed her $150,000 in jewellery was being blessed when it was replaced by empty boxes and other worthless items. In another case, a 77-year-old woman reported being defrauded of "a large sum of money and jewellery" last month in Parramatta. Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood on Wednesday said the scam preyed on the cultural fears of the victims. "They have been compromised by people of their own nationality," Assistant Commissioner Wood said. Assistant Commissioner Wood said those targeted were some of the most "vulnerable" in the community, who in total have made off with $3 million. "They, I would describe, are very, very vulnerable people," he said. "The majority are female and elderly. They underpin the word vulnerability. "And that's what makes this scam, this crime, let's not call it a scam, this crime, so serious. "They are like piranhas; they are circling around vulnerable people and they are robbing them, at times, of huge amounts of money." A 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport on July 3. A 62-year-old man, who was arrested by the Australian Federal Police at Brisbane Airport the following day, was successfully extradited to NSW yesterday. They both face three charges, including "participate criminal group contribute criminal activity". Assistant Commissioner Wood said police believed there may be victims of the scam who have not come forward to police and urged anyone who had been targeted to come forward. He said the footage police have of the victims allegedly being scammed was "extremely sad". "There's no rules with these people; they're predators. When they see an opportunity, when they need to work as a group they will work as a group," he said. Police released photos of those accused of being involved in the operation in the hope people with information on their whereabouts and alleged involvement in the group will come forward.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Sussan Ley said Liberals ‘didn't get it right' with Chinese community during federal election
Sussan Ley has moved to reassure the Chinese community after the Liberal Party failed to win or retain any seats with a high Chinese-Australian population, with the Opposition Leader admitting the party didn't 'get everything right in the last election'. At the May 3 federal election, the Liberals failed to retake the notionally Liberal seat of Bennelong, with Labor's incumbent Jerome Laxale boosting his margin from a super slim 1 per cent to 9.3 per cent. In Melbourne, Liberal MP Keith Wolahan lost the blue-ribbon seat of Menzies to Labor's Gabriel Ng, and Labor's Carina Garland also maintained Chisholm. The Coalition also suffered backlash from the community after former frontbencher Jane Hume claimed Chinese spies were volunteering for Labor Housing Minister Clare O'Neil. Following a meeting with Chinese community leaders in Epping in Sydney's northwest on Monday, Ms Ley said conversations were 'frank' and it was clear the party needed to 'course correct'. When asked directly about Senator Hume's comments, she reiterated that the party had made mistakes in the lead up to May 3. 'We didn't get it right. We didn't get the tone right. We didn't always get the messaging right, and I want to freely acknowledge that we've turned the page,' she said. 'I'm a new leader with a different tone, different priorities and a different team.' While she would not disclose 'private discussions' with community leaders, she said the Liberals would continue the dialogue with community members. 'I think that message was well received, but I also know that the Chinese Australian community expects ongoing dialogue from this point forward,' Ms Ley said. 'So to them, they're focused on the future, and they're focused on what happens next, and they're focused on their families and their communities and their economic circumstances, just as all Australians are.' Ahead of Anthony Albanese's trip to China later this week, Ms Ley wished the Prime Minister 'well' but urged caution against expanding the free trade agreement to include to artificial intelligence. 'The people-to-people links that we talked about today underpin that, and they're part of the incredible Chinese diaspora and character that is part of the Australian community today,' Ms Ley said, adding that the Australia-China relationship would be built on 'mutual respect'. 'With respect to artificial intelligence and new free trade agreements, we have to proceed with caution, understanding the implications that always come with issues that concern our national interest.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ley issues mea culpa to Chinese Aussies
Sussan Ley has moved to reassure the Chinese community after the Liberal Party failed to win or retain any seats with a high Chinese-Australian population, with the Opposition Leader admitting the party didn't 'get everything right in the last election'. At the May 3 federal election, the Liberals failed to retake the notionally Liberal seat of Bennelong, with Labor's incumbent Jerome Laxale boosting his margin from a super slim 1 per cent to 9.3 per cent. In Melbourne, Liberal MP Keith Wolahan lost the blue-ribbon seat of Menzies to Labor's Gabriel Ng, and Labor's Carina Garland also maintained Chisholm. The Coalition also suffered backlash from the community after former frontbencher Jane Hume claimed Chinese spies were volunteering for Labor Housing Minister Clare O'Neil. Following a meeting with Chinese community leaders in Epping in Sydney's northwest on Monday, Ms Ley said conversations were 'frank' and it was clear the party needed to 'course correct'. When asked directly about Senator Hume's comments, she reiterated that the party had made mistakes in the lead up to May 3. 'We didn't get it right. We didn't get the tone right. We didn't always get the messaging right, and I want to freely acknowledge that we've turned the page,' she said. 'I'm a new leader with a different tone, different priorities and a different team.' While she would not disclose 'private discussions' with community leaders, she said the Liberals would continue the dialogue with community members. 'I think that message was well received, but I also know that the Chinese Australian community expects ongoing dialogue from this point forward,' Ms Ley said. 'So to them, they're focused on the future, and they're focused on what happens next, and they're focused on their families and their communities and their economic circumstances, just as all Australians are.' Ahead of Anthony Albanese's trip to China later this week, Ms Ley wished the Prime Minister 'well' but urged caution against expanding the free trade agreement to include to artificial intelligence. 'The people-to-people links that we talked about today underpin that, and they're part of the incredible Chinese diaspora and character that is part of the Australian community today,' Ms Ley said, adding that the Australia-China relationship would be built on 'mutual respect'. 'With respect to artificial intelligence and new free trade agreements, we have to proceed with caution, understanding the implications that always come with issues that concern our national interest.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Libs admit Chinese diaspora failings on listening tour
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has met Chinese community and business leaders as the Liberals work to rebuild trust with a demographic that largely abandoned the party at the federal election. Ms Ley said she heard examples of racism and hatred that plagued the community that "made us very angry and very distressed". "We didn't get everything right at the last election and I made it clear that I wanted a valuable, ongoing conversation," she told reporters after Monday's meeting in northwest Sydney, admitting the party struck the wrong cord with the diaspora. "Protection from hate for our migrant communities should always be front and centre." Ms Ley didn't answer whether an apology was issued for comments made during the election campaign by a senior Liberal senator about potential "Chinese spies" being embedded in Labor's campaign. It followed media reports alleging Chinese Communist Party-linked volunteers were helping Labor during the May election campaign. "I'm not going to go into the private discussions that we had today, but I am going to say that I freely admit that we did not get it right, that our tone wasn't right and the messaging wasn't right and that we needed to change course," Ms Ley said. Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser said Chinese Australians raised concerns about being able to contribute to their community. "That was a very strong message that came through the valuing of communities, so those issues will very much be front and centre when we consider policies going forward," he said. Parramatta Labor councillor Michael Ng said the Liberal Party lost the trust of the Chinese community due to its harsh rhetoric and lack of action to protect the diaspora. Cr Ng wasn't at the roundtable but said he had heard concerns from Chinese Australians about their disappointment in the Liberal Party and some of that went back to how they were treated during the COVID-19 pandemic. "When it comes to election time, they try to say 'we support you', but when you look at the shadow ministers, their rhetoric doesn't support that," he told AAP. An analysis of comments on Chinese social media platform WeChat carried out by Australian-Chinese Relations Institute deputy director Wanning Sun found the Liberals lost the trust of Chinese voters, pointing to hawkish language by shadow ministers against China.
