A tale of misfortune: Police captures fraudster claiming to be a spiritual expert

Sometimes, individuals try to seek spiritual guidance when it comes to making important decisions.

However, it's crucial to practise scepticism when it comes to supernatural claims.

A recent arrest sparked a conversation among community members about the fine line between offering helpful advice and giving false hopes.


A self-proclaimed psychic was apprehended in Punchbowl as part of a crackdown on a group of alleged fraudsters masquerading as psychics.

The police operation, which unfolded Wednesday morning, led to the confiscation of spiritual items, including a crystal ball, tarot cards, and antique statues.

The alleged psychic fraud case has been making headlines, and last Wednesday's arrest was one out of many.


compressed-psychic.jpeg
The woman was allegedly one of many 'psychics' running the elaborate scheme. Image Credit: Pexels/Gantas Vaičiulėnas


Two more accomplices previously faced charges related to the same fraudulent scheme.

According to the police, their operations have been ongoing since as early as 2006.

The syndicate members would pose as psychics to deceive their victims into parting with money and other valuable property.


Detective Inspector Craig Brooks vocally accused the syndicate of their schemes.

'Police will allege the syndicate were claiming to be psychics and during that process with the victims they were encouraging them to provide them with property and money, which they have obviously kept,' Inspector Brooks said.

'They have not returned it in breach of what the victims would have expected when engaging these services. These matters have caused significant financial and emotional distress.'

The investigation into the 'psychics' began in July, and detectives believed that several people had been involved in the elaborate scheme.

The charged individuals allegedly accepted money under the guise of 'spiritually cleansing'.

'Clearly, if any person out there is asked to provide money to any psychic for any services, I strongly urge them not to,' authorities reminded.


The arrested 48-year-old woman now faces 13 charges, including:
  • identity theft
  • money laundering
  • participating in an organised crime group, and;
  • hindering the discovery of evidence.]
These charges happened separately to four victims.

The woman, who was denied bail, should appear in Bankstown Local Court soon.

Meanwhile, the previous arrests led to a search of a storage unit in Chatswood, where they seized items like antique statues, a sword, and World War II memorabilia.

This story serves as a cautionary tale and a reminder to remain vigilant and discerning, especially when it comes to supernatural claims.
Key Takeaways

  • Authorities arrested a 48-year-old psychic in Sydney for her involvement in an alleged fraud scheme.
  • Police seized items, including a crystal ball and tarot cards, which were linked to fraudulent activities.
  • The syndicate purportedly offered psychic services to defraud victims of money and other property since 2006.
  • The woman faced 13 charges, including identity theft and money laundering, and was denied bail.
Have you or someone you know ever sought the services of a psychic? What precautions do you take to ensure you're not being taken advantage of? We encourage everyone to share their thoughts and experiences with us in the comments section below.
 

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How anyone is so gullible to pay some fraud money to dream up your "future" is amazing!

May as well ask the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny or your local priest. All myths!
Absolutely agree. Some people will believe anything and some of them are so gullible they virtually then set their lives on the path they've been told will happen.
I knew a guy, who I was very close to, who was told, among other things, that he would loose everything, break the law, go to jail and die young.
He had a big financial loss and then, it appeared to me set his life on that path,got into trouble with the law, went to jail and about eight years later, in his early 50s committed suicide. Just prior to that he commented to me that everything he was told had come true (with a lot of help from him).
I honestly believe none of this would have happened if he hadn't been told all this crap.
I thought these people only told you good things, why would they tell him that??
 
Absolutely agree. Some people will believe anything and some of them are so gullible they virtually then set their lives on the path they've been told will happen.
I knew a guy, who I was very close to, who was told, among other things, that he would loose everything, break the law, go to jail and die young.
He had a big financial loss and then, it appeared to me set his life on that path,got into trouble with the law, went to jail and about eight years later, in his early 50s committed suicide. Just prior to that he commented to me that everything he was told had come true (with a lot of help from him).
I honestly believe none of this would have happened if he hadn't been told all this crap.
I thought these people only told you good things, why would they tell him that??
Correct! The seeds are sown in one's mind to the extent that they will consciously or subconsciously follow that path by the power of suggestion.

Sad indeed.
 
When my son passed away in 2017, my daughter, who saw his deceased body and jumped on him to try to wake him up as he was in bed, sought out many self-proclaimed psychics. There would have been at least a dozen, maybe more, plus phone calls, each instance cost her more and more money. One of them was a phone call she had to make to America, that cost her a small fortune.

She would excitingly contact me to tell me what they said, one of them insisted that her brothers name started with a H, his name was Kevin, no H in sight, but she wouldn't be swayed and said it must have been a close family member, my ex's name, their father, is Robert/Bobby, we cannot think of any other H's in our family or friends. I had another son that passed away as a newborn, a few years before Kevin was born, his name was Graeme, no H.
I tried to tell her over and over again that they were full of shit, that they just saw her as a soft target, but she insisted they were real, she was 30 years old with no common sense sadly.
It took her at least a year to get through this 'phase'.
 
How anyone is so gullible to pay some fraud money to dream up your "future" is amazing!

May as well ask the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny or your local priest. All myths!
Who would want to know anyway if it was bad! l was working in Currumbin G.Coast cooking in a private hospital there and the other chef there said he could read our palms.So all the staff gathered round him and put there hands and although l wasn't keen to do itl joined in.When he got to me he said he couldn't tell me but he did.He said l would have a bad accident but wouldn't die.l never told anyone and laughed it off.A few years later in 1983 it happened.My sister wanted to watch the last episode of '' The Thorn Birds'' and said could we pick my mother up from the club in Hornby so we did.We were on the back road to Mooney Mooney when we saw these lights flashing so we stopped just as a horse tried to jump over our car.lt landed on the roof breaking it's neck and crushing the car.l ended up being an incomplete quadrapledic.
l should never have put my hand out and prehaps it wouldn't have happened
 
Who would want to know anyway if it was bad! l was working in Currumbin G.Coast cooking in a private hospital there and the other chef there said he could read our palms.So all the staff gathered round him and put there hands and although l wasn't keen to do itl joined in.When he got to me he said he couldn't tell me but he did.He said l would have a bad accident but wouldn't die.l never told anyone and laughed it off.A few years later in 1983 it happened.My sister wanted to watch the last episode of '' The Thorn Birds'' and said could we pick my mother up from the club in Hornby so we did.We were on the back road to Mooney Mooney when we saw these lights flashing so we stopped just as a horse tried to jump over our car.lt landed on the roof breaking it's neck and crushing the car.l ended up being an incomplete quadrapledic.
l should never have put my hand out and prehaps it wouldn't have happened
So very sorry to hear your story and the outcome of the accident. Take care.❤️
 
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So very sorry to hear your story and the outcome of the accident. Take care.❤️
Thanks it's been a long time now and l am not so bad really. l am very lucky l live with my two sons who take good care of me and have family not far way.Debra surprised me today when she came here and is staying overnight.Learning to write with my left hand took ages lol Thanks for your corncern
 
Thanks it's been a long time now and l am not so bad really. l am very lucky l live with my two sons who take good care of me and have family not far way.Debra surprised me today when she came here and is staying overnight.Learning to write with my left hand took ages lol Thanks for your corncern
l mean concern but you know that lol
 
I have seen psychics who turned out to be charlatans, as well as one who was pretty spot on, many decades ago. I have had psychics in my life and their messages were sometimes quite accurate, at other times, not so much!
 
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