Elected Officials Want NYPD to Address “Blessing” Scam

Swindle Targets Immigrants, Asian Community

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), NYC Council Member Carlos Menchaca and NYC Council Member Margaret Chin today wrote New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner William Bratton, calling for action to address a spate of scams targeting women in New York’s Asian community.

In a series of recent cases, Asian American women were approached and told that their family had been cursed. To remove the curse, the victims were instructed to bring all their money and jewelry for a blessing ritual, after which they were robbed. In their letter, the elected officials asked that the NYPD work with the District Attorneys of the five boroughs to tackle the problem.

“These unconscionable swindles target immigrant communities and some of our most vulnerable neighbors,” Rep. Velázquez said. “It is important the NYPD and our District Attorneys’ offices take collaborative, proactive steps to put an end to these crimes.”

“Scams targeting immigrant communities are particularly vile given that immigrants with limited English skills may find it more difficult than most to locate proper authorities and effectively file a complaint,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “The ‘Chinese blessing’ scam must be stopped. The work and dedication of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and the commitment of the NYPD to our community will help eliminate this threat to our Chinese immigrant community.”

“We must make sure that people, especially those that cannot speak English, know about these types of scams and be able to warn their families and friends,” said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. “I thank Congresswoman Velázquez for imploring law enforcement to coordinate their efforts to bring these scammers to justice and to deter others from even thinking about committing this kind of crime.”

The full text of the letter is below.

July 14, 2016

William J. Bratton
Commissioner
New York City Police Department
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038

Dear Commissioner Bratton:

We are writing to call your attention to an issue impacting members of the Chinese-American community throughout New York City. Reports indicate that a group of fraudsters have conned a number of middle-aged women out of money and jewelry by using a “Chinese blessing” scam. Due to the persistent nature of the crime, we are calling on the NYPD to create a Task Force, in conjunction with the borough District Attorneys, relevant community based organizations and stakeholders, to coordinate efforts to stop the growing use of this “Chinese blessing” scam.

In the most recently published cases, scam victims were approached by three women who said that their respective families had been “cursed” and, in order to lift the hex, were told to bring all their money and jewelry for a blessing ritual. Following these instructions, the women were robbed of their money and their valuable possessions were replaced with water bottles. This year alone nearly $500,000 worth of jewelry and money has been stolen from victims.

These “Chinese blessing” scams are unfortunately nothing new in our City’s communities. In 2013, business owners on Avenue U in Brooklyn previously filed complaints with the New York Police Department (NYPD), noting that some of their shoppers were subject to harassment from “Chinese blessing” scam artists. In May 2015, a 65 year-old woman from Chinatown fell victim to a scammer and lost about $60,000 worth in jewelry and cash.

The consistent pattern and increasing total value of stolen property both suggest that scammers are emboldened and willing to continue targeting middle-aged women, particularly those in the Chinese community. Some of these women are among our City’s vulnerable and may not speak the English language well enough to report the crime with confidence to the NYPD. Given this reality, it seems that the appropriate City authorities have inadequately addressed this issue via outreach or with the provision of culturally cognizant solutions.

While it can be argued that some victims may not report incidents due to language barriers, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the necessary tools and resources are employed appropriately throughout the community. Whether such solutions and strategies include more Chinese speaking police officers in predominately Chinese-speaking neighborhoods or a comprehensive outreach program with local shop owners and community based organizations, it is important for the appropriate City authorities to examine, consider and implement suitable solutions and strategies to help prevent future incidents.

For these reasons, we urge the creation of a comprehensive Task Force to tackle this rampant “Chinese blessing” scam. Not only would a Task Force better help coordinate appropriate resources, but it would also be immediately responsive to needs of the Chinese community and help deter potential scam artists.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velázquez
Member of Congress

Carlos Menchaca
Councilmember

Margaret Chin
Councilmember

cc:

Kenneth P. Thompson, Kings County, District Attorney
Richard A. Brown, Queens County, District Attorney
Cyrus R. Vance, New York County, District Attorney
Darcel D. Clark, Bronx County, District Attorney
Michael E. McMahon, Richmond County, District Attorney
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