A company based in the United Kingdom has paid $7,000 to provide refunds to 325 Iowans who responded to personalized psychic solicitations. Geoff Greenwood, spokesman for the Iowa Attorney General’s office, says his office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit after an investigation that started a couple years ago with a call from an eastern Iowa woman.
“Our consumer protection division heard from an Iowan whose 91-year-old mother had provided a lot of money to this clairvoyant and this 91-year-old almost went broke sending money to this individual,” Greenwood says. The mailings — from supposed psychic “Mary Theresa” or “Lady of Hearts” — offered to share information in exchange for a fee of between $20 and $54. “She all but promises that something really good is going to happen…’I’ve got some information that perhaps will affect your wealth or affect your health,'” Greenwood says.
The scheme by Nature Plus Limited targeted mostly elderly Iowa victims, who will soon be getting refunds. “And what’s important as well is that she won’t be doing this again in Iowa and she won’t share her mailing list with others so others can target these same people,” Greenwood says.
Some Iowa victims sent hundreds of dollars in response to multiple mailings from supposed psychics promising riches and life-changing miracles, according to Greenwood.