Over 1 million Americans fell victim to a fraudulent psychic who deceived them with ambiguous predictions about their future, according to the Daily Voice. However, the identity behind the persona of Maria Duval and other psychics was revealed to be a Canadian man who swindled his victims out of $175 million over a span of 20 years. Patrice Runner, a 57-year-old citizen of Canada and France, was convicted of 14 counts of mail and wire fraud by a New York jury, as announced by the Justice Department. The scheme orchestrated by Runner involved sending 56 million letters to individuals, particularly targeting vulnerable and elderly individuals, promising them wealth and happiness in exchange for an initial fee of $37.50. However, this was just the beginning of the scam.
Between 1994 and 2014, the letters captivated recipients by revealing personal details such as their birthdays and places of birth, which were acquired from data brokers, as per the Washington Post. These letters also enticed recipients with psychic predictions, including large lottery wins. The victims were then asked to send money and personal items, like photographs and locks of hair, in order to receive personalized services. Although most responses were discarded, they provided insight into the individuals who had been deceived. Subsequently, up to 100 additional letters would be sent, with further requests for money. If recipients stopped responding, the letters would adopt a threatening tone. One victim admitted to experiencing extreme anxiety and sleepless nights due to the promised misfortune.
Maria Duval, the real psychic who worked in southern France, was found to have no involvement in the scam. Runner had overseen the North American operations of the scheme through a Montreal-based company called Infogest Direct Marketing. He concealed his participation by utilizing a network of shell companies while residing predominantly in Europe. Runner was extradited from Spain to the US in late 2020, as reported by the Montreal Gazette. He has been convicted of eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. Two individuals in Montreal and two others in the US had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to the scam. (Read more stories on mail fraud.)
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