Article content

Ottawa police are warning of a scam that may be spreading to Ottawa in which a person, primarily from within the Chinese community, arrives at a resident’s doorstep and offers to drive away evil spirits for a fee.

The scam, which has become known as the “Blessing Scam” or the “Chinese Evil Spirits Scam,” appears to target elderly Chinese women.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Police warn of 'evil spirit cleansing' scam Back to video

Fraudsters claim to be doctors, spiritual leaders, or healers and can help cleanse the victims of evil spirits. The victim is then instructed to bring valuables such as gold, jewelry and cash in a bag, which are then turned over for a “blessing” to drive away the spirits.

The bag is taken away and emptied and returned to the victims, who are told not to open the bags for several days to allow the “spell” to properly take effect.

According to police, the scam appears to be well organized.

Anyone with information on this to this scam is asked to contact the Ottawa police organized fraud section at 613-236-1222 ext. 5433.