Three people allegedly used some sort of black magic to scam a woman out of more than $30,000 in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood on Monday, police said.
The scam was reported at about 10 a.m. and occurred in the 2400 block of 37th Avenue.
A 73-year-old woman told police that she was taking a walk when she was approached by a man and woman who struck up a conversation with her and walked her toward a car driven by a second man.
The man in the car told the woman she had a medical condition and he would be able to determine what type it was, police said.
He poured water into a bowl and had his two accomplices touch the water. Nothing happened when they touched it, but when the woman touched the water, it turned black, according to police.
The man said he had a cure for the woman that she could have for a large sum of money. The woman went home to get cash and came back to meet the suspects.
She gave them more than $30,000 and was given the alleged cure and told that they would get more of the supposed medicine and bring it to her, but when she returned home and waited, the suspects never arrived, police said.
The suspects, who all speak the Cantonese Toisan dialect, had not been found as of today, and the case is being investigated by the Police Department’s economic crimes unit.
The first suspect is described as an Asian man who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He had short black hair, a long skinny face and was wearing dark clothing.
The second suspect is described as an Asian man who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He had short black hair and a chubby build.
The third suspect is described as an Asian woman who is between 40 and 45 years old, 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 105 pounds, had long black hair and a chubby face, and was wearing a black sweater with a front zipper and black pants.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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