NEW YORK
A federal court barred eight defendants from operating an alleged international multi-million dollar mail-fraud scheme that solicited $180 million from victims on behalf of psychics, clairvoyants or astrologers, officials announced today.
More than a million Americans were victimized by this scam, according to officials.
The eight allegedly claimed they represented psychics Maria Duval and Patrick Guerin, officials said.
The letters claim that the psychics had a personalized vision or psychic reading revealing that the recipient of the letter has the opportunity to achieve great wealth, including claims of winning millions in the lottery.
The solicitations urge victims to purchase various products and services in order to ensure that the foreseen good fortune comes to pass. In reality, the solicitations are identical, mass produced form letters sent to tens of thousands of recipients throughout the United States every month.
Many of the customers who receive the solicitations are vulnerable victims, including the desperate, elderly and infirm.
The court order also authorized the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to return any money or personal checks sent to the defendants and detained by the Postal Inspection Service.
The following eight international defendants agreed to be bound by a permanent injunction in order to resolve the United States’ civil suit against them: Canadian company 9097-9394 Québec Inc. dba Infogest Direct Marketing (Infogest); Infogest employees Mary Thanos, Daniel Sousse and Philip Lett, all of Quebec, Canada; Hong Kong corporation Destiny Research Center Ltd.; Destiny Research Center President Martin Dettling of Zurich, Switzerland; Patrick Guerin of France and Maria Duval of France.
“This widespread scam targeted more than one million Americans, many of whom were elderly or in financial distress,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to stopping such fraud and pursuing all those responsible for lying to vulnerable consumers for their own financial gain.”
“To line their own pockets, the defendants preyed upon the superstition and desperation of millions of vulnerable Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers for the Eastern District of New York. “We will use every means at our disposal to protect our citizens from fraudulent schemes like this, that target the lonely, the ill, and the elderly.”
The defendants have all agreed to settle the case and be bound by a permanent injunction. The permanent injunction also bars the defendants from making various claims in advertisements sent through the U.S. mail, including claims that products offered for sale will increase the recipient’s odds of winning the lottery or bring the recipient luck or good fortune.
