Page 56 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2021

56 Searching for Psychic Ann

Searching for Psychic

Ann: One Man's Fight

Against a Shadowy Group

of Grifters

by Jacob Vaughn

Elie was just looking for guidance. Last April,
the California resident was trudging through a
rough patch. The COVID-19 pandemic had
closed down much of the country, he was reeling
from a difficult breakup and he had recently
been laid off twice. He soon came across an
Instagram post that caught his eye. The account,
@psychicuniverse1111, boasted of being a
prominent spiritual advisor and psychic
medium.

The posts advertised 10-minute readings for $10
and a flat $35 rate for a “full twin flame
reading,” a process in which a supposed psychic
communicates with a spirit. A twin flame, Psychic Ann and a business associate named group that focuses on issues facing people older
according to psychic lore, isn’t just a soul mate. Samantha told Elie they felt more work was than 50. Before the COVID-19 pandemic closed
The concept refers to the notion that your soul is required. Starting the next week, they would set down much of the country and saw a rise in
split in two upon creation. The person with the up three daily “prayers” to try to remedy the mental health issues, AARP would usually
other half is your twin flame, they say. situation. receive a single complaint about psychic scams
every four months on their helpline. Now,
Elie decided to reach out, and when “Psychic The fraud and extortion only continued from they’re fielding one or two calls a week from
Ann” replied, she told him she could speak that that point onward, according to the lawsuit. people who have been swindled by self-
same evening. During that first conversation, Psychic Ann insisted that Elie needed to spend described psychics.
Elie told Psychic Ann about his breakup and his $25,000 on a “precious stone” from a church on
ex-girlfriend. which he should meditate. If he didn’t, she said, Meanwhile, the FBI says more people are
his mother would soon have terminal cancer. reporting these types of fraud cases to their
The $35-rate was standard for a run-of-the-mill They also told Elie to not let anyone know about Internet Complaint Center, or IC3. "Although
psychic reading, but the conversations between their supposed work to save his mother; if he IC3 does not see many of these types of
the two escalated quickly. Over the next few didn't keep it a secret, the treatment wouldn't complaints, there has been a slight uptick in
months, $35 turned into $90,000 and led to a work. Fearing the worst, Elie rushed to a bank. reporting this year," the bureau said in a
tangled web of psychic networks and a desperate statement to AARP. "Most of the complainants
search for answers. Now, Elie and his lawyer, Psychic Ann and Samantha saw an opening to reporting these scams have not been victimized,
Paul Green, have filed a lawsuit against the push for more, the lawsuit alleges. While he was but are being vigilant in reporting potential
psychic and a shadowy Texas network they say on the way to the bank, they told him he actually frauds they see on social media networks or
defrauded the man. (Elie agreed to an interview needed two stones, a purchase that would run receive via email."
on the condition we don't publish his full name.) him $55,000. Sure, it was a lot of money, but it

was the only way he could save his mother. On Complaints reported to AARP include a 54-year-
Psychic Ann told Elie that getting him back on top of that, there would still be enough leftover old Canadian woman who gave a psychic
path to fixing his relationship would require a lot energy to win back his girlfriend. $24,000 after being promised to be reconnected
of work. She told him “negativity was the with a loved one. Another woman, a 72-year-old
culprit.” She needed to perform an assortment of Ignoring the request also came with a price, they in Seattle, handed $20,000 over to a psychic
rituals and spiritual prayers, she insisted. The said. His ex-girlfriend would shack up with who said they could gather information about a
cost of these rituals and prayers was $5,500. another man. Worse still, her new partner would new relationship. The list goes on, one grift after
abuse her and impregnate her against her will. another, the number of people conned piling up.
It was a steep price, but Psychic Ann struck him Not to worry, they said: the $55,000 was only a
as a legit. He wondered if she might have real deposit, and the sum would be returned to him In recent years, I’ve received a handful of tips
psychic abilities. After all, she knew that his ex- once the work was completed. In the meantime, about similar stories in North Texas, but most
girlfriend had started dating someone else, a fact though, he needed to wire transfer the money to times, the victims are too embarrassed to speak
he had only recently learned from friends. "They a bank account under the name of Dillion Evans. on the record. Sometimes, they still fear the
just immediately reeled me in and played on my psychic’s abilities and don’t want them to know
emotions," he told me. “I was completely "Every day they would fill me with this hope they spoke with a reporter.
consumed by this.” that I was going to get back with my girlfriend
and that my family’s health was going to be OK At one point, someone from New York reached
Plus, she offered a money-back guarantee: Elie and [would say], ‘We just need some more out to me saying they’d been conned out of more
would receive a full refund if he wasn’t reunited money so we can get another crystal so we can than $2,800 by a psychic they believed was
with his ex within 10 days, she promised. Elie pray for this and pray for that,’ and they had me based in North Texas. They tried to cut ties, but
sent the money across multiple mobile payment for way longer than I would’ve liked and they the psychic would call from different numbers,
apps. Two of those payments went to someone took everything I had," he told me. harassing the client and threatening to contact
named Sonya Adams, according to the lawsuit. family members to tell them they were hired to
lie didn’t know it yet, but psychic scams are cast spells on them.
The 10 days came and went, but Elie remained common, according to Amy Nofziger, director
single. But instead of returning the $5,500, of fraud programs for the AARP, an interest (Continued on Page 57)