Unwitting, elderly Chinese women in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia are falling prey to an age-old spiritualist sham that has set local police and victims’ families on a hunt for answers.

The theatrical scheme involving three actors would fleece their victims of cash in bulk and heirlooms.

One such account from a Chinese-Malaysian sixty-year-old unfolded like this: she was approached by a woman crying about her ill husband, asking in Cantonese if the older woman knew a certain traditional healer. Along came a second stranger, telling them she knew this healer, and that she could take them to him. A third actor entered the scene, claiming she was a relative of the healer’s.

After the supposed relative consulted with the healer, she revealed to the older woman his transcendental knowledge of personal matters such as marital strife and bodily pains. The relative then disclosed that in three days, her son would be in a fatal accident.

She came home to see the bag contained a brick, cake, and two bottles of water instead, and knew the bags had been switched out.

There have been numerous such victims with the same story. Even the name of the healer spoken of remains the same across most accounts: Mr. Koh. The scam takes only hours, in the case retold, it began and was completed in three hours.

Northumbria University law professor and previously a Chinese police officer, Anqi Shen said this is a recent enactment of an age-old crime hinging on spiritual beliefs. Gold, silver, and jade jewelry are some of the usual valuables Chinese people keep, which they believe have protective powers. So it would convince victims that having these blessed would give them greater protection.