There are three types of people who approach a psychic, Detective McFadden said. “You’re curious, you’ve never done it,” he said. Or a group of friends go together, for fun. “It’s a goof,” he said. “And then you have people who are in crisis,” he said. “They’re very vulnerable.” A disreputable psychic latches onto this customer, promising aid and urging a follow-up visit. “If they get you to come back, the hook is set,” Detective McFadden said.
The victims are often affluent and elderly, as eager for companionship as they are for spiritual cleansing. “They’re frequently educated, more sophisticated people,” he said. When do palm readings and tarot cards become a crime? “When they’re saying, ‘Give me money and I’m going to help you,’” he said. “I need to hear a person be told something that is not true.”
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