Psychic scammed customers out of thousands of dollars

KOB Eyewitness News 4, New Mexico/June 27, 2014

By Lauren Hansard

Police say a psychic in Artesia scammed people out of thousands of dollars.

The psychic allegedly told customers she would hold onto their money and bless it then give it back. Police say that didn’t happen.

“You would trust anyone that you know, if you hear it on the radio why not give it a shot."

An Artesia woman who does not want to be identified says it all started with a commercial she heard on the radio for a local psychic.

“They say she has 25 years of experience and if you're having problems money wise or anything to just go see her.  So, I decided to go see her."

The victim says she showed up at her house for a tarot card reading, where a woman identified herself as psychic Maria Adame.

“She read the cards and she said that there was a lot of envious people around me and somebody did a witchcraft on me. So, she's like all I need is this money just for you to bring it to me and we're going to do something to it."

Over the next three weeks, the victim says she brought the psychic $16,000 to be “cured.”

“Supposedly you have to keep it a secret and not tell your husband, so I tried to tell her like I need my money and she’s like oh no the spirits marked that you can't have it until Friday."

When that day finally came..

"I called her and her phone was disconnected so right away I went to her house, and I looked through the window and her furniture was gone."

Artesia police found three more people who had given Adame money, before she vanished.

“What I want, really what I want is I know I'm not going to get my money back, but I want her in jail.  I want her to pay for what she did because if they don't stop her she's going to be doing that to other people."

Police say the so-called psychic likely used a fake name. We reached out to the radio station. They say they are no longer playing the commercial. The station says the woman paid for the ad in cash then never returned.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.