Crime | ‘Fortune tellers’ family accused of scam
Three family members, a father and two brothers, have been caught by the police and accused of practicing a “fortune telling” scam, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) revealed during a press conference this week.
The case occurred on October 26 when officers on patrol spotted two men of Indian nationality behaving suspiciously in the Rua de Xavier Pereira.
The officers decided to follow them and observe their actions. They spotted them trying to approach people on the street, then entering several shops only to leave a few minutes later.
Questioning the shopkeepers, the officers realized that the men were offering “fortune telling” services in exchange for payment.
One of the shopkeepers said she had communicated with the man, who apparently told her some facts about her future life, and asked for MOP100 in exchange.
In another case, a shop staff member was said to have given MOP1 to the man, who tried to bargain for more money but was unable to do so due to language barriers.
After speaking with several shopkeepers, the police acted and detained the two men for questioning.
Eventually, the police found out that the two men were in fact brothers and a later inspection of the house where they were staying revealed a third male, the father of the first man, who admitted to also dedicating himself to the same activity.
They were presented to the Public Prosecutions Office on October 27 under the charge of conducting a scam. RM
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My interest is piqued. What exactly are the defendants being charged with? Fortune Telling has a long tradition in nearly all cultures. One can go to many Chinese Temples shake sticks or use other methods to help one predict ones future life. Often donations are asked for and expected. Although I am not familiar with Indian culture I am aware that there is a long tradition of various archaic religious and spiritual practices and i would be surprised if fortune telling was not part of that tradition. One can take the view that all fortune telling is a scam, a view I am inclined to lean to, in which case shouldn’t our public security be looking into these other numerous scams being committed in temples and private consultations. Or is it because these particular defendants were making a public view of their solicitations and stood out because of their ethnicity. Most religions may be viewed as some sort of scam predicting our future after lives. So shouldn’t our guardians of the law be following other scammers around. I haven’t seen any young Mormons recently but they used to go around in pairs looking for converts to a highly commercialised religious practice. It maybe that the fortune tellers have predicted their own arrest as a means of publicising their abilities. But, whatever view one takes this case raises an interesting confluence of ideas about civil liberties, what one believes in and how much intrusion and protection there should be from the state.without appearing oppressive or prejudiced. Personally I feel quite inured to fortune telling scams, but very vulnerable to those telephone calls telling me I have been in a no fault accident or my relative has been arrested in China and needs a quick payment. It would be nice to hear what our Judiciary thinks about these affairs and I hope your news paper can give a follow on to this interesting little story.