SCAM DIGEST
Suckers are parted from their cash by Qing Dynasty con-men and geriatric gangsters in China; plus Sweden’s phantom major
THE 40-YEAR CON
Police in eastern China have detained five people suspected of a swindle aimed at persuading victims to hand over money in exchange for a share in trillions of US dollars. The scammers claimed the huge fund was set up by Nationalists 70 years ago, but was frozen at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. After arresting the three women and two men at a hotel in Shandong province in December 2019, police found fake army uniforms and forged documents, including fake UN permits and a gun licence issued by the Qing Dynasty (the last imperial dynasty). The gang claimed they were part of a task force established by the UN and by China’s Central Military Commission.
A police report says the five crooks have admitted to being members of the International Plum Blossom, a criminal group known to have perpetrated similar scams for the last 10 years. Suspicions were aroused when one man was seen to be wearing an army uniform under his coat. The 54-year-old, known only by his surname, Teng, was asked to produce ID; he took out a ‘special pass’ issued by the ‘general headquarters from the UN peacekeeping force’. He then phoned someone he described
as the ‘top leading comrade’, warning the policemen they could be suspended if they continued their investigations. Taken to the station for further questioning, the five were searched; receipts for fake deposits from Citibank and HSBC worth several trillion US dollars were found. There was also an order from the Kuomintang government to transfer the money to Taiwan, whence the Nationalists had fled at the end of the civil war in 1949.
Teng confessed that the documents were used to convince people, often elderly, to invest in a crowdfunding project that would unlock the money. Investors were offered up to 10 per cent of the total funds. Officials don’t know how many people have fallen victim to the scam over the years, but have been aware of it for at least 40 years. South China Morning Post, 15 Dec 2019.
SENIOR SCAMMERS
Also in China, a gang of geriatric criminals has been broken up by police, and its members, aged between 68 and 92, sentenced to jail terms of up to 16 years. The OAP crooks had committed a string of crimes in the city of Yingtuan, Jiangxi province, including extortion, blackmail, violence and kidnapping from 2002 onwards. As well as extortion, their protection racketeering forced shopkeepers to sell them goods at discounted prices.
The kingpin of the gang, surnamed Liu, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. Eighteen others were jailed for between one and 11½ years. Liu is a common clan surname in the province, and the gang operated under the guise of the Liu Family Elderly People’s Association. After arrest, the aged gangsters tried to obstruct police investigations by claiming ill-health associated with their advanced years. In addition to the aforementioned crimes, they were also convicted of threatening to attack government offices. scmp.com, 10 Jan 2020.
SPAC SCAM?
A controversial Christian church that targets gang members and other vulnerable inner-city youth has been accused of financially
exploiting its congregation. Former members of the UK-based SPAC (Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church) Nation told journalists that they were persuaded to apply for government welfare benefits, that bank loans were taken out in their names, and that they were coerced into donating blood for medical trials. In all cases, the ensuing money made its way into SPAC Nation’s coffers rather than their own bank accounts.
Kurtis, a former senior official of the church, which is registered as a charity, says the organisation should be closed down and that its leader, Pastor Tobi Adegboyega (pictured on facing page), “has to be held accountable”. He recalls seeing “bags and bags of money” and claims that church leaders “would ridicule anyone who offered the church less than £3,000”. Pastor Adegboyega leads the church, together with five senior pastors known as ‘the generals’. They preach a form of ‘prosperity theology’, the belief that God rewards the faithful with material wealth, and that the more they donate, the more they will be rewarded. ‘Prosperity theology’ (aka ‘Prosperity Gospel’) first came to prominence in the USA during post-war ‘Healing Revivals’. It became associated
In China, a gang of geriatric criminals has been broken up