'Psychics' swindle two women out of nearly €160,000 in online scam
Latvia's State Police is investigating two fraud cases in which women sent almost €160,000 combined to online 'psychics' after being promised curse removal and help fixing their personal lives. The promised results never came, and the alleged scammers stopped responding.
Latvia's State Police (VP) is investigating two separate fraud cases in which women transferred large sums of money to individuals claiming to offer psychic services, after finding advertisements for such services on Facebook.
In one case, the woman was promised psychological support along with a ritual to remove a curse. In the other, the woman was offered a magic ritual meant to help sort out her personal life.
How the money was transferred
Over an extended period of communication with the suspected fraudsters, the two women transferred and handed over substantial amounts: €118,000 in one case and €39,000 in the other, bringing the combined loss to nearly €160,000. One of the victims did not only make bank transfers — following the scammers' instructions, she also placed cash in a parcel locker, from which it was collected by a courier.
In both cases, once the women realized the promised rituals had produced no results, they tried to reach the 'psychics' again, but received no further response.
Criminal proceedings launched
The State Police has opened criminal proceedings under Section 177, Part Three of the Criminal Law, covering fraud committed on a large scale. The offense carries a penalty of imprisonment from two to ten years, with or without confiscation of property, and may include probationary supervision for up to three years.
Police are urging the public to exercise caution when encountering online advertisements for occult-type services and to carefully evaluate any such offer before making payments.
