OKEECHOBEE, Fla. -- The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) is warning the public about a prayer scam.
OCSO says the scam involves the suspect(s) approaching and befriending a victim, often times of Hispanic descent.
The suspects convince the victim that they will pray over their money and their family.
In a recent instance of this scam, the victim followed the suspects to their home and they persuaded the victim to turn over her money. The suspects wrapped her $300 in a red cloth and prayed over it. The victim was told not to unwrap the money for 24 hours or the prayer would not be answered.
The suspects convinced the victim she needed to give them more money to pray over.
The victim allowed the suspect to follow her to her house and she subsequently handed over an additional $7,000 for them to pray over.
The money was prayed over and then the victim discovered the money was missing.
Ultimately the victim was able to identify the two female suspects, who were later arrested and charged.
Sheriff Noel E. Stephen stated, “As we enter into our Christmas season always remember there are people that invest all their efforts into taking advantage of innocent people. Please be aware and remain vigilant to not fall prey to these thieves. Any legitimate person or organization should not be bothered nor afraid for you to ask questions and check their legitimacy. If you ever have a question or concern, contact the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office or Okeechobee City Police Department immediately."