A 73-year-old woman fell victim to a cruel scam where she was conned out of £200,000 in cash and jewellery by three suspects who manipulated her into participating in a spiritual ritual to rid herself of ‘bad spirits’. The incident took place in Newport city centre, where the suspects tricked the elderly woman by exchanging her money and jewellery for bags of flour during the supposed ritual. This shocking crime was recently featured on Crimewatch Live, with presenter Michelle Ackerley condemning it as a manipulative and calculated scam targeting the vulnerable victim.
The three female suspects, described as having short black hair and aged between 30 and 50, approached the victim in Newport city centre. They offered to conduct a ritual to help her and her family in exchange for money. Gwent Police launched an investigation and have released CCTV images to seek help in identifying the suspects involved in the crime. One woman seen in the footage was buying flour, which was used in the deceptive exchange, while another woman’s image was also shared by the police for assistance in their inquiries.
Police shared that the victim was approached while shopping in Newport city centre and was lured into the scam under the guise of needing help for her supposedly ill husband. The suspects exploited the victim’s spiritual beliefs and convinced her that her family was in danger from malevolent spirits. They persuaded her to hand over her life savings and jewellery for cleansing, using flour to deceive her in the process. Reflecting on the incident, PSI Jay Clark stated that the suspects took advantage of the victim’s vulnerabilities and spiritual convictions, resulting in her significant financial loss.
Gwent Police is urging anyone with information or who recognises the individuals in the CCTV images to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation. They can contact the police via their website, social media, or by calling 101 and quoting the log reference 2400168940. It is essential for the community to work together to help bring these perpetrators to justice and prevent more vulnerable individuals from falling victim to such despicable scams in the future.