What are the red flags of this scam?

A friendly stranger approaches you in public — outside a grocery store, in a parking lot, or in a park — and immediately brings up your health, luck, or family well-being without knowing you • The person says they sense 'bad energy,' a curse, or coming misfortune around you or your family — this is the hook used to trigger cultural fear • You are asked to bring valuables — cash, gold jewelry, jade — to be 'blessed' and protected; real spiritual practitioners do not approach strangers in public and demand valuables • A second person appears during the encounter to act as the 'blessing authority' — the two-suspect team is the hallmark of this crime • The valuables are wrapped and returned in a package you are told not to open until later — the switch happens when you are distracted • You discover the returned package contains worthless substitutes — cornstarch, paper, or other filler — only after the suspects have left

What should I do if this happened to me?

Leave immediately if a stranger approaches you about bad luck, curses, or spiritual protection — do not engage, even if they seem friendly or genuine • Never hand valuables (cash, jewelry, gold) to a stranger for any reason, including a blessing or protection ritual • If you are still with the suspects, call 9-1-1 — police want to catch these groups in the act • Report to your local police non-emergency line (in Vancouver: 604-717-3321) and describe the suspects and location as precisely as possible • Tell elderly relatives about this scam; families of potential victims are the primary prevention channel for this type of fraud • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH other Last reported: Oct 16, 2026 Share

A stranger approaches you outside a grocery store and says your family faces a curse — bring your cash and jewelry for a "blessing ritual" that is actually a theft

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A stranger approaches you on the street and warns of a curse on your family, then offers a blessing ritual. A second suspect takes your valuables and swaps them for fake items. In 2026, Vancouver Police documented 13 incidents with losses exceeding $300,000 — mainly targeting elderly Chinese-Canadian women.

A stranger approaches you on the street and warns of a curse on your family, then offers a blessing ritual. A second suspect takes your valuables and swaps them for fake items. In 2026, Vancouver Police documented 13 incidents with losses exceeding $300,000 — mainly targeting elderly Chinese-Canadian women.

Also known as: blessing scam Canada, distraction theft Vancouver seniors, joss paper scam Canada, spiritual blessing theft Canada, curse removal scam Vancouver

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Leave immediately if a stranger approaches you about bad luck, curses, or spiritual protection — do not engage, even if they seem friendly or genuine
2 Never hand valuables (cash, jewelry, gold) to a stranger for any reason, including a blessing or protection ritual
3 If you are still with the suspects, call 9-1-1 — police want to catch these groups in the act
4 Report to your local police non-emergency line (in Vancouver: 604-717-3321) and describe the suspects and location as precisely as possible
5 Tell elderly relatives about this scam; families of potential victims are the primary prevention channel for this type of fraud
6 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ A friendly stranger approaches you in public — outside a grocery store, in a parking lot, or in a park — and immediately brings up your health, luck, or family well-being without knowing you
⚠ The person says they sense 'bad energy,' a curse, or coming misfortune around you or your family — this is the hook used to trigger cultural fear
⚠ You are asked to bring valuables — cash, gold jewelry, jade — to be 'blessed' and protected; real spiritual practitioners do not approach strangers in public and demand valuables
⚠ A second person appears during the encounter to act as the 'blessing authority' — the two-suspect team is the hallmark of this crime
⚠ The valuables are wrapped and returned in a package you are told not to open until later — the switch happens when you are distracted
⚠ You discover the returned package contains worthless substitutes — cornstarch, paper, or other filler — only after the suspects have left

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources