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Long Island Man Arrested on Fraud and Fortune-Telling Charges After $62,000 Scam
NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK, JUL 18 – Hemanth Kumar Muneppa faces grand larceny and fortune telling charges after allegedly scamming a vulnerable 68-year-old woman out of $60,000 for spiritual services, Nassau police said.
- Self-Described fortune teller Hemanth Kumar Muneppa was taken into custody Thursday in Hicksville, police said, charged with swindling a 68-year-old woman out of $20,000.
- Under New York law, charging for fortune telling for a fee is prohibited unless for entertainment, though the victim believed astrology and rituals could help, leading to a scam.
- Police said he tried to get another $42,000 from her, and bank staff raised the alarm, leading to his immediate arrest.
- Following his arrest, he was released without bail Friday, though Columbia Undergraduate Law Review said `the charges can be hard to make stick`.
- Amid a surge in clairvoyant scams, New York’s little-known law against predatory fortune telling is drawing fresh attention, aimed at protecting vulnerable consumers.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Long Island fortune teller arrested after charging woman more than $60,000, police say | News Channel 3-12
By Renee Anderson Click here for updates on this story LONG ISLAND (WCBS) — A New York City man is facing grand larceny and fortune telling charges on Long Island. Nassau County Police said Hemanth Kumar Muneppa was arrested Thursday in Hicksville. Police said Muneppa charged a 68-year-old woman $20,000 for fortune telling services back on July 3. She returned for additional services Thursday at Anjana Ji on South Broadway. The company’s web…
So-called Long Island fortune teller allegedly scammed $20,000 from woman
Guess he couldn’t predict this would happen. A Long Island man who claimed he could fight evil spirits is now fighting off serious charges, after the so-called fortune teller stole tens of thousands of dollars from a 68-year-old woman, according to police. Hemanth Kumar Muneppa worked at a psychic and astrology shop in Hicksville, where he targeted his victim. Investigators...
It’s crystal-ball clear: NY’s rarely used fortunetelling law explained
New York's little-known, and rarely enforced, fortunetelling law was enacted in 1967 to protect people from getting swindled out of fortunes for services like getting purged of evil spirits.
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