Elderly Chinese defrauded in San Francisco

San Francisco (CNS) -- A number of fraud cases targeting old Chinese women have come to light in the Sunset District of San Francisco recently, with nearly US$120,000 involved, local police disclosed at a press conference on Wednesday.

The police advised people to beware of con artists and encouraged reporting of suspicious characters in the neighborhood.

According to the police release, three Cantonese-speaking, middle-aged women stopped some elderly Chinese ladies to ask directions, and then said they perceived the ladies were being haunted by ghosts and should take immediate steps to avoid disaster. The three women also offered them what turned out to be fake jade bracelets at exorbitant prices to bring good luck.

The police have released the likenesses of the three suspects, and encouraged people to report any sightings.