Aurora police: Man scammed when woman promises to 'bless' his cash

Aurora police are searching for a woman who recently scammed a 72-year-old man by promising to "bless" his cash before disappearing with the money.

The man learned about the woman through a flyer he picked up at a grocery store in the 600 block of East New York Street, according to a news release. A woman identified in the Spanish-language flyer as Mrs. Mariana said she would use ancient knowledge to provide improvement in troubles related to work, love, bad luck and illness caused by the occult or black and white magic.

"Nothing is impossible," the flyer says in Spanish. "I'm the only one who can convince you and change your life."

The man later met with the woman several times between June 1 and 8 at an apartment in the 1100 block of East New York Street. The woman "offered to take away all of the negativity in his life," police said.

Eventually, the man left a substantial amount of cash with the woman, who promised to "pray over it and bless it" for two hours. When the man returned for his money, the apartment was vacant and the woman was gone, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call (630) 256-5500; Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000; or submit a tip with the My PD app.