In recent years, the popularity of fortune-telling services such as palm readings, tarot card readings, and other mystical consultations has surged. Many seek out these services via social media to gain insight into their futures or find guidance in their personal lives. Sadly, this trend has been accompanied by a rise in fraudulent activity, where scammers pose as fortune tellers to exploit vulnerable individuals.
Our client, Harry (whose name has been changed for anonymity), lost all his savings when he sent thousands to a scammer posing as a palm reader. Fortunately, the fraud and scam recovery experts at CEL Solicitors recovered £9,284.28 for Harry.
How the scam occurred
While scrolling through his Instagram feed, Harry happened across a business page offering palm readings. Believing that the popularity of Instagram for legitimate companies provided credibility to the platform, Harry had little reason to suspect that the page was fraudulent, so he reached out.
After building a friendly rapport with the client over time, the fraudster requested money to cast ‘spells’ that offered protection. Soon after, the scammer began using threats against Harry. They claimed that curses and dark spirits would endanger him and his family if he did not pay for their services.
At the time, Harry was suffering from insomnia and would often be awake for up to 24 hours. This impaired his decision-making abilities, and, in a state of panic and desperation, Harry went along with the scammer’s demands and sent the money.
The scammers exploited Harry’s vulnerabilities and compromised mental state, ultimately leaving him thousands of pounds in debt. The scam only concluded when all of Harry’s savings were gone.
Tell CEL
Despite the unusual activity on his account, Harry’s bank, NatWest, did not intervene to stop the scam.
Thankfully, some months after the scam occurred, Harry’s mental state began to improve. It was at this point that he realised that he had been defrauded.
He then contacted CEL Solicitors’ fraud and scam department. By piecing together a timeline of the events and uncovering the points at which Harry had been failed by his bank, we were able to recover £9,284.28.
Commenting on the scam, Harry’s case handler and fraud paralegal, Demi Thomas, said:
“Harry’s case is a heartbreaking reminder of how easily scammers can manipulate and exploit vulnerable individuals.
“The rise of social media platforms as advertising spaces for fraud makes it even more critical for users to exercise caution.
“We are pleased that we were able to recover £9,284.28 for Harry and help him regain a sense of security and trust. It’s crucial for anyone who feels they may have been scammed to seek professional help immediately.”
