Page 37 - 201212 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2012

Bewitched by Expensive False Promises Bewitched by very expensive false promises by Jessica Smith - Metro Toronto “Rick” first went to see Angel because he wanted to find his ex-girlfriend. He was responding to an ad by a psychic who calls himself the “Angel of Love.” He returned to Angel, repeatedly, because he wanted his band’s music to be heard around the world. Today, the ex-girlfriend hasn’t returned, the band is still unknown and Rick is $11,000 poorer. “Rick” doesn’t want his real name used because he’s deeply embarrassed. He’s an intelligent man who holds a good job with the provincial government. Police say his case is not unique. Last week, Toronto police laid fraud charges against a man claiming to be a witchdoctor. On Wednesday, police again cautioned the public about three women claiming to be psychics who car. Oh f***, it’s beyond me now.” "These are not stupid people, they were able to preyed on two Chinese victims. Rick hasn’t given up on psychics, make choices and decisions in their lives There is a fine line between psychics though. He said he’s believed in their power whether they wanted to continue me consulting who break the law and those who don’t. since he was a child and his uncle, a doctor, told with them," Marks said. Marks said the charges According to Toronto police spokesman him that one psychic in a million was the real — whether they stand up to scrutiny or not — Const. Tonyo Vella, offering a psychic reading deal. He’s been looking ever since. [] have already destroyed her business. Since their for money is legal. It becomes fraud if the August 2011 arrests, she and most of her psychic knowingly frightens the client into Psychic accused in $25 relatives are not allowed work as psychics. She giving him money. million fraud says she is spent a month in jail, lost her waterfront home Vella added there is a law against on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale and, if pretending to practice witchcraft, but it’s legal portrayed 'as some kind of convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison for to believe you are offering a real psychic each of the serious charges. reading. monster' "How am I ever going to put my life Rick says Angel told him an evil spirit Continued from Page 32 back together?" Marks said. "How do I start was causing his problems. For a fee, he claimed over again? It's impossible." [] to be able to remove the spirit. The way Marks tells it, she loved Rick met Angel and his female assistant Deveraux as her closest friend — they shopped RUMORS at their office at Dufferin and Eglington West. at South Florida malls, watched movies such as “To start off it’s going to be $900. So I "The Passion of The Christ," and talked and Why do people believe wild, unsubstantiated went and I took $900 from … my Visa … and talked. stories? According to some psychologists, gave it to Angel.” Deveraux moved to Fort Lauderdale in “rumors make things simpler than they really He was told to drink a cup of liquid. 2005 after her 8-year-old son, Sam, died in a are.” And while people won’t believe just “I started barfing. I started barfing right motorcycle accident in North Carolina, and anything, it’s surprising what stories have in a cup. I said it’s too much. He said it’s just the Marks said she spent months caring for her flourished in the past. Many of these tales are start.” bereaved friend. still in circulation today... Rick returned to Angel many times since Investigators, however, said the Marks his first visit last spring. family used the boy's death and several RUMOR He spent another $3,000, before being miscarriages Deveraux had suffered over the McDonald’s adds earthworms to its told to phone their leader, “Juan,” in Miami. years to victimize and control her. According to hamburger meat. That man asked Rick for another $11,000. Juan court testimony, they told her the child was HOW IT SPREAD convinced him the “evil spirit in the somewhere between heaven and hell and she Apparently the stories began in Atlanta netherworld” would obey their commands, for a had to work with the psychics to be reunited in 1979 and were originally aimed at a price. He promised him Angel would show him with him in the afterlife. competitor, Wendy’s. “But,” as a psychologist the evil spirit in person. Marks said the notion that she controlled commented, “industrial rumors tend to gravitate “I took out $8,000 more. It was the most the author is laughable, and she has numerous to the industry leader.” Another possibility: an I could get,” he said. “I started crying, man. He examples of Deveraux not following her advice. article in Reader’s Digest about worm farms said ‘OK, enough, we’ll work on it for you.’” "I have no one under my spell. I don't mentioned that such farms tend to attract Today, Rick says he was scammed. know why they call me the matriarch, either, animals that like to eat worms, making the farm He hasn’t gone to the police and doesn’t because nobody listens to me," Marks said. “a veritable McDonald’s” for such animals. want his coworkers to know. Marks said she used tarot cards and WHAT HAPPENED “You could go to the police and all taught clients to put positive "energy out into To fight it, McDonald’s held a press they’d do is laugh,” he said. “What am I the universe" but said she did no ritual cleansing conference in Atlanta and produced a letter from supposed to do? What am I supposed to do of gold coins, no clearing of curses or the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture stating that the now? That’s money I don’t even have. I’m consulting with Michael the Archangel, as burgers were, and always have been, 100% paying that back.” prosecutors allege. beef. [] Angel never did show him an evil spirit. Marks and her lawyer say her alleged “It never happened, never happened,” he victims were mostly educated women with good (5=5> &41 D*E ,:91 $-05: &(C%4:A %>:<1 said. “My money’s gone though. They’re happy jobs, including the novelist, a corporate lawyer www.xzonestore.com about it. They’re laughing. Probably got a new and a tax accountant.