SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco city leaders are calling for more public awareness within the Asian community to prevent older women from being scammed out of their valuables.
District Attorney George Gascon says his office, police and local politicians have hosted community meetings and distributed a video depicting a reenactment of a scam and tips on how to spot one.
Authorities say thieves, usually in teams of three or four mostly younger Asian women, have stolen about $2 million in nearly 60 cases this year. This includes three women who are awaiting trial this month on 28 felonies, including grand theft and extortion, after they were arrested while attempting to catch a plane to Hong Kong in May.
Similar scams have occurred in other cities with large Asian communities, such as Seattle, Boston, Chicago and Honolulu as well as in the United Kingdom and in Australia.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
