Fake fortune telling, real fraud! Two groups of fraudsters specifically targeted vulnerable groups such as family members of patients near hospitals, under the guise of 'palm reading' and 'fortune telling', and committed superstition-based scams, with a total amount defrauded reaching over 9,100 yuan (about RM5,400).
According to 'Jimu News', the Taoyuan County Public Security Bureau in Changde City, Hunan Province, China recently successfully cracked two cases of fake fortune telling and real fraud near hospitals, arresting a total of 10 suspects.
The case began with a report from a member of the public to the Zhangjiang Police Station of the Taoyuan County Public Security Bureau, stating that he was scammed out of more than 2,100 yuan (about RM1,200) by a gang near a certain hospital in the county town, under the pretense of 'fortune telling'.
After receiving the report, the Zhangjiang Police Station immediately set up a special task force to investigate. By conducting stakeouts and reviewing surveillance footage, they found that this was an organized criminal group that often moved between several towns in Taoyuan County.
Investigations showed that the scam gang had clear divisions of labor and mainly targeted elderly people and women. When committing crimes, two female members would first approach passing people, claiming there was a 'master fortune teller' who could provide guidance. Afterwards, two male members would play the roles of a deaf-mute 'fortune teller' and the fortune teller's 'interpreter', who, by 'reading palms', would claim that the victim's family would encounter 'disasters soon', and that a talisman, costing 300 yuan (about RM177), 600 yuan (about RM355), or 900 yuan (about RM532), was needed to dispel the disaster.
After scamming the victims, another male member would drive the gang away from the scene to escape.
After completing the preliminary investigation, the police carried out a coordinated operation and arrested five suspects who were in the middle of scamming people on the street.
Upon interrogation, it was found that the gang was involved in five cases, with a total amount defrauded of over 7,000 yuan. Currently, five criminal suspects have been criminally detained according to the law, and the police are conducting further investigations.
In addition, while investigating the above-mentioned case, police also noticed another group of suspicious individuals using a similar method to pester passersby. They immediately stepped in, detained five people who were engaged in fraud, and brought them back to the police station.
Investigations confirmed that these people used the same method to scam the public, with a total amount of 2,100 yuan (about RM1,200) involved. They have currently been administratively detained according to the law, and the case is being further processed.