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Fortune Teller's Cleansing Rituals Cleaned Woman Out
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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Storefront psychics are a notoriously sketchy lot, but that doesn't stop some people from enjoying visiting one for a bit of fun. But you know you've probably stepped over a line when you start filling jars with cash just because one tells you to. That's what happened to Dane Chan, who is suing Greenwich Village fortune teller Sylvia Mitchell, of "Zena Psychic." Chan claims that Mitchell conned her out of nearly $10,000 in late 2008, while Chan was going through personal problems, such as a recent breakup, under the guise of "cleansing" rituals to rid her of "impurities." And nothing filthier than lucre!
Those rituals included the aforementioned classic stuffing-money-in-a-jar trick: "Chan was instructed to tuck nine $100 bills and a prayer list outlining her future goals inside a jar. She was then told to fill the jar halfway with water, spit in it and sleep with her jar under her pillow for a week," before handing it over to Mitchell. Chan also accuses Mitchell of stealing her credit card twice to go on shopping sprees at a Ralph Lauren store to buy materials for the cleansing.
This seems to be Mitchell's M.O. though—there are several reports on different websites that warn about her, including detailed descriptions by several victims on the Ripoff Report which describe the cons she pulled on Chan to a tee:
Long story short, this is a scam artist. She has scammed many out of thousands of dollars to remove so called curses, remove negativity, remove blockages...she hooks you in with lies because you are either vulnerable, depressed, or even hopeful, she tells you that you need to give a her money as a a "sacrifice"...What you can trust is that she will be at Macy's shopping with your money to buy the jewels she wears and pay the rent for that expensive shop....and I never heard from her or my money again. The door was locked all the time and no calls were even answered or returned, including my $3,000.00 so called sacrifice.
Oddly, there is another fortune teller named Sylvia Mitchell who was involved with the death of her older husband in 1999, but it is unclear whether there is any connection between the two.
Tagged
cleansing rituals
fortune teller
sylvia mitchell
zena psychic
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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