A Toronto woman, who was suffering from health problems and dealing with the recent death of family members, says she was at a vulnerable time when she gave almost $100,000 to a psychic. The woman, who asked us to use her middle name Nancy, said she wants to keep her identity hidden as she is embarrassed after giving away her entire live savings. “I cry everyday,” she said. Nancy said two years ago, she was “sick from a hip injury,” and “having severe pain” when she lost her father and brother. Nancy said she was scrolling on Instagram when she saw an ad for a psychic not far from her. He claimed he could help with a session, which was only $30. But Nancy said when she had her psychic reading, she was told there were evil spirits around her causing her harm. “I was told I have very bad black magic working against me. This black magic means soon I’m also going to be paralyzed, and I will be in wheelchair and I will die too,” she said. The woman said she was told to get rid of one of the evil spirits would cost her $25,000. “So, he is going to put that (the evil spirit) in a plastic container, and he will take it to the lake and bury it,” Nancy said. But after that, she was told there were seven more evil spirits. In the end, she gave the psychic a total of $96,000 but said she was shocked when all her problems remained the same. “In the end, nothing happened,” said Nancy. The psychic moved locations. When CTV News called, we were hung up on and our messages left at the number were not returned. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) said psychic scams usually involve fear, threats, and emotional manipulation. “It’s important to know the difference between is it part of an entertainment service or are you being defrauded” said Jeff Horncastle with CAFC. “One major warning sign is that your loved one will experience an illness or death or financial losses or there will be a relationship breakdown unless you pay more money.” As for Nancy, the $96,000 she gave to the psychic was her entire life savings. She says she’s devastated to lose that amount of money, adding that her health has gotten worse. “I’ve made a very big mistake. I’ve been a very big fool,” she said. Police won’t always investigate psychic fraud as it’s a service customers agree to and it can be difficult to demonstrate criminal intent. If you know someone who uses psychics, you may want to reach out to them to make sure they’re not being scammed.
