Horrorscope: Indian National Arrested in New York for Alleged $62,000 Fortune Telling Scam
- Nassau County Police are urging anyone who may have been victimized in similar schemes to contact them at 516-573-6200.
Nassau County police have arrested an Indian national who allegedly defrauded an elderly woman out of more than $60,000 through a fortune telling scheme that promised to ward off evil spirits and provide spiritual cleansing.
Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, 33, was taken into custody Thursday, July 17, in the parking lot of a Hicksville business after attempting to convince his victim to withdraw an additional $42,000 from her bank account, according to Nassau County Police Department officials.
The scheme began on July 3, when a 68-year-old woman paid Muneppa $20,000 for fortune telling services at Anjana Ji, an astrology business located on South Broadway in Hicksville. The company’s website advertises a variety of astrology services, including “evil spirit removal” and “love spell caster.”
According to police reports, Muneppa used astrology and spiritual claims to defraud the elderly woman by promising fortune-telling and “evil spirit removal” services. When the victim returned for additional services on Thursday, Muneppa allegedly requested an additional $42,000 payment.
The woman was driven to a bank on Broadway to withdraw the money, according to police. Questions were raised when she went to make the withdrawal, and police were called. Bank staff became suspicious of the large withdrawal and contacted authorities, leading to Muneppa’s arrest in the business parking lot.
Nassau County Police report that officers arrested Muneppa without incident. He faces multiple charges including third-degree grand larceny, third-degree attempted grand larceny, and two counts of fortune telling.
Under New York State law, fortune telling for compensation is illegal unless conducted solely for entertainment purposes. According to New York State law, it is illegal to charge for fortune telling services, unless solely for entertainment or amusement purposes. Fortune telling is considered a class B misdemeanor.
The statute specifically prohibits anyone who “for a fee or compensation which he directly or indirectly solicits or receives, he claims or pretends to tell fortunes, or holds himself out as being able, by claimed or pretended use of occult powers, to answer questions or give advice on personal matters or to exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses.”
Muneppa was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Hempstead. Nassau County Police are urging anyone who may have been victimized in similar schemes to contact them at 516-573-6200.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about fraud targeting elderly individuals, particularly schemes that exploit spiritual or supernatural beliefs to extract large sums of money from vulnerable victims.