Elderly woman defrauded of MOP130,000 in ‘miracle doctor’ scam

The Judiciary Police (PJ) recently announced the arrest of five suspects involved in a fraud scheme that targeted an elderly resident of Macau. The victim, an elderly woman, lost approximately 130,000 patacas worth of jewelry and cash.

According to the police report, the incident occurred last week when the victim was approached by a suspect identified as Chan, a 60-year-old female mainland resident, who claimed to know a “miracle doctor.” Chan was then joined by another suspect, Lau, a 58-year-old female mainland resident, who also claimed to know the miracle doctor.

The two suspects then led the victim to the R. Um do Bairro Iao Hon area, where they were joined by three additional suspects: Lam, a 50-year-old female mainland resident; Lam, a 48-year-old male mainland resident who claimed to be the grandson of the miracle doctor; and Lei, a 42-year-old male mainland resident who acted as the driver.

The suspects engaged the victim in a complex scheme, claiming that the victim’s son was suffering from blood and liver disease and that the family’s gold, silver, and cash were needed to perform a blessing ritual to cure the illness and prevent further negative events. The female suspect Lam also claimed that there was a ghost in Chan’s home, and that more blessings were needed.

The suspects then accompanied the victim back to her residence in Areia Preta to collect her valuables.

Around noon, the group returned to the patio of the building in the R. Um do Bairro Iao Hon area, where the male suspects instructed the victim to place her property, including cash and jewelry, into a plastic bag. The bag was then placed inside another black plastic bag with mineral water, and the victim was told to turn around and bow to the east three times before being allowed to take the bag home.

When the victim returned home and opened the black plastic bag, she found only two bottles of mineral water and two boxes of drinks, with her cash and jewelry missing. She immediately reported the incident to the police.

After investigation, the PJ was able to locate and arrest the five suspects, who had entered Macau the night before the incident and checked into two rooms at a hotel on the mainland. The police were able to recover the victim’s stolen property.

The police investigation revealed that the suspects had a clear division of labor in the fraud scheme.

Chan pretended to inquire about the miracle doctor, while Lau led the victim to retrieve her property. The female suspect Lam engaged in conversation and guarded the scene, while the male suspect Lam distracted the victim by pretending to perform the blessing ritual. Lei acted as the getaway driver.

The PJ has charged the five suspects with criminal group activity and fraud. Victoria Chan