Two alleged fraudsters accused of swindling an elderly woman out of tens of thousands of dollars in cash have been arrested by Australian police investigating a spate of “Chinese blessing scams.”

Chinese blessing scams have been reported worldwide for the last 25 years or so, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.

Offenders typically target elderly Asian women and convince them that a member of their family is cursed or in danger. Victims are told the only way to ward off negative spirits is to have their wealth blessed.

“It’s a robbery by stealth. These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian, older females. They swarm like a pack of hyenas,” said New South Wales Police Detective Superintendent Guy Magee.

A 63-year-old woman was detained at Sydney International Airport Thursday after “extensive inquiries” by Strike Force Sentinel, a special task force formed in April to investigate 80 reports of the scams, involving the alleged theft of 3 million Australian dollars ($2 million). She’s been charged with a number of offenses.