MIRI: An elderly housewife lost RM30,000 after she fell for ‘misfortune cleansing’ by three foreign women who claimed to be shamans.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the spisode transpired on June 19 when the 80-year-old alighted from the bus at the Jalan Raja bus stop.
The suspects from China approached her and told her that bad luck would befall her family.
One of the suspects even claimed to have encountered the victim’s deceased husband, who purportedly sent them on a mission to cleanse the bad luck that loomed over their target.
“Playing upon the victim’s fears, the suspects offered their services to cleanse the ill fortune.
“To reinforce their credibility, they contacted their 100-year-old friend to seek advice and guidance on the curative measures. Speaking in Chinese, the suspects engaged in a phone call and heightened the victim’s belief in their supposed mystical powers.
“Exploiting the victim’s vulnerability, the trio cunningly broached the topic of finances and inquired whether she possessed any money.
“They then directed her to withdraw RM26,000 from her bank account, in addition to RM4,000 from her savings,” he said.
Once the sum was in hand, the octogenarian was coerced into entering an unidentified black car, where she was told to wash her hands and feet with bottled water which supposedly had magical properties to cleanse her of the bad luck.
He added that, following the cleansing ritual, the suspects returned the victim’s belongings wrapped discreetly in newspaper, and cautioned her not to open the package until four days had passed.
On June 23, the victim called her son and daughter-in-law to witness the long-awaited revelation within the newspaper-wrapped bundle.
“To her dismay, they discovered a packet of coarse salt. Realisation struck that her belongings had been deftly swapped when she was washing her hands and feet,” he said.
In view of this, Mohd Azman urged the public to remain vigilant and not to engage with strangers who offer shamanic services to expel misfortune.
He stated that it is best to notify one’s partner, friends, or family members when encountering an unfamiliar individuals proposing dubious remedies.
