Fortunetelling fraud (aka Psychic Fraud) is a prevalent problem in the world. It is a certain species of fraud whereby self-proclaimed psychics emotionally abuse and financially exploit vulnerable people who are experiencing problems in their lives, bilking them out of billions of dollars each year under the guise of providing assistance. The victims are of any age and background and the problems that the victims are experiencing fall into three general categories; love, money, and health. The crime can be committed in one short operation but is usually committed over a longer period of time, during which, the self-proclaimed psychic convinces the victim to provide greater sums of money in furtherance of the alleged work, culminating with the victim being left emotionally broken and penniless.
Bob Nygaard, a private investigator, builds a criminal case against self-proclaimed psychics who commit fortunetelling fraud in order to cause these con artists to be arrested, charged, and successfully prosecuted. Additionally, he enumerates the impediments that often exist when trying to bring self-proclaimed psychics to justice and the strategies employed in his efforts to protect society and make victims whole.
This talk took place on November 19, 2020, at 7:00 pm EDT.