Canadian man faces up to 280 years in prison for defrauding elderly Americans in $175M scheme

Canadian-man-faces-up-to-280-years-in-prison-for-defrauding-elderly-Americans-in-175M-scheme

A Canadian guy who orchestrated a false psychic scam that conned millions of Americans will soon be behind bars.

Patrice Runner, 57, was found guilty on Friday, June 16 of defrauding people out of more than $175 million in a decades-long mass-mailing conspiracy that frequently preyed on the weak, according to the US Department of Justice. She could spend up to 280 years in prison.

Between 1994 and 2014, Runner, a dual citizen of Canada and France, sent millions of letters posing as Maria Duval, a well-known psychic, and offering to bring recipients prosperity and happiness in return for payment.

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According to the Washington Post, one 2014 letter said the recipient’s life “was going to take a turn for the better” but demanded payment of $37.50 to learn more.

Another message stated: “All you have to do to see your life change is grasp the hand of friendship we are holding out to you,” but that friendship cost $50 to begin.

The handwritten notes and personal information about the recipients that were allegedly obtained from data brokers gave the letters the appearance of being individualized. But because they were mass-produced and largely identical, the fraudsters could send out tens of thousands of them every week.

By renting and trading mailing lists with other mail scammers, Runner and his accomplices preyed on the elderly who were suffering from dementia or persons who were having financial difficulties.

It was discovered that the elderly with dementia or those who were struggling financially were frequently the ones who fell for the scam and handed over money.

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