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Calgary police are warning Calgarians about a recent scam in which victims are urged to have their valuables blessed to ward off evil spirits, only to have their possessions stolen.

While there have been no confirmed reports in Calgary of the so-called “blessing scam” at this time, police say they were alerted to a rise in incidents by the Vancouver Police Department, whose officers have made a number of arrests in relation to the fraud.

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And there are indications a criminal group is moving across the country and targeting members of the Asian community, particularly elderly Chinese women, according to city police.

“It’s not something we’ve seen yet, but we are hyper vigilant at this point,” said Sgt. Andy MacLeod with the Calgary Police Service’s fraud team, adding there may have been incidents in Calgary that have gone unreported.

MacLeod said fraudsters will tell victims that an evil spirit will harm them, their son, or their grandson if they don’t have their money and valuables blessed.