'Psychic' conman jailed for swindling 1.3m Americans

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Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨BrikoX@lemmy.zip⁩ to ⁨globalnews@lemmy.zip⁩

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68831124

Canadian Patrice Runner made $175m over 20 years in leaflet scam claiming he could make people rich.

Archived version: archive.ph/ykCiO

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jordanlund@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
FTA:

“maybe it’s not moral, maybe it’s bullshit… But it doesn’t mean it’s fraud”.

I mean, that part’s not wrong. It would be like if I advertised saying “Proven method guaranteed to avoid speeding tickets! Works in all jurisdictions in all 50 states! Perfectly legal! Cops can’t stop you from doing this! Works on speed trap cameras as well! Send me $10 today to find out how!”

Then when I get the $10, I spend $0.55 to mail them back a flyer that says:

“DON’T SPEED!”

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- BrikoX@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Not familiar with case specifics, so not sure which statutes were used, but the scheme of pretending to be someone you are not is illegal.
  
  Under his scheme, millions of people received letters from Runner and his associates falsely claiming to be personal correspondence sent by well-known so-called “psychics” Maria Duval and Patrick Guerin.
  
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BrikoX@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I guess he didn’t see that coming…

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shalafi@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
“Runner was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

He was found not guilty on four counts of mail fraud.”

Might have slid by without the money laundering.

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ganksy@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Glad to see they were caught but can’t help but notice they could have stopped at, I don’t know, 3M and been just fine. Greedy

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