It became known about the use of religious rituals for scams by scammers in Bali

Scammers on the Indonesian island of Bali have begun using religious rituals to deceive tourists when renting housing. This was announced on April 22 by Russian developer Timofey.

"A man in traditional clothes, a sarong, actually comes to tourists, holds a ceremony with incense and prayers, sings some chants, then takes the money and disappears safely," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, the attackers explain the need for the ceremony by the fact that the rented villa is allegedly under the protection of spirits who may not let visitors in. The developer added that the cost of these services is often not negotiated in advance or increases after the end of the ceremony, which is later explained by the "complex nature" of the spirits.

As the agency's interlocutor pointed out, locals breed foreign businessmen in a similar way: they are taught that there will be no customers in their salon or restaurant without a "cleansing ceremony." In addition, such scammers often work in conjunction with local authorities, who refuse to issue work permits to entrepreneurs without performing a ritual. Thus, people are forced to pay in order to avoid problems and not stop their activities.

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The Times newspaper reported on March 31 that a large-scale criminal network is operating on Mount Everest, making money by rescuing climbers who do not need it. Guides convince amateur climbers to descend by helicopter, offering to simulate indisposition, for which tourists then pay at an increased price. In other cases, they themselves cause clients to feel worse by mixing something into their food, and they explain their ill health with altitude sickness.