A 25-year-old man has been charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception following an alleged jewellery blessing scam in Sydney. The arrest follows a report that a woman had jewellery worth approximately $150,000 taken from her.
Incident Details
The alleged scam began on 9 January 2025 when a 47-year-old woman was approached by a man in Darling Harbour during her lunch break. Introducing himself as a spiritual guide, the man engaged the woman in conversation and offered to perform a blessing ritual to alleviate her life concerns.
In the following weeks, the pair met again, during which the man allegedly requested that the woman provide jewellery as part of the ceremony. During the ritual, he allegedly placed a weighted coconut on the jewellery and switched it with empty boxes and other items.
Police Investigation and Arrest
After realising her jewellery was missing, the woman reported the incident to Blacktown Police Area Command. Detectives launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of the suspect near Darling Harbour on 5 February 2025.
Police later searched a hostel on Elizabeth Street, Sydney, where they allegedly recovered the woman’s jewellery. The man was taken to Day Street Police Station and charged.
He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear at Blacktown Local Court on 10 February 2025.
