Though many magicians
are “honest deceivers,” a few use their talents to defraud people. The National
Association of Bunco Investigators (NABI) defines “fortune-telling fraud” as “a
crime designed to financially exploit a victim under the guise of providing
assistance. It involves gaining the victim’s complete trust and, then through carefully
managed manipulation convincing the victim to give valuables to the suspect.”
NABI continues that the victims are usually seeking help for problems involving
love, money, or health. The fraud convinces her victim that she has special
powers to remove the curse that is causing the problem. NABI warns against the
“total psychological manipulation of the victim” by the fraud, who often keeps
him isolated and vulnerable.
The anonymous author
of the “Gypsy Psychic/Spiritualist Scams”
website explains how the “fortune-telling con” works. The confidence artist (mentalist)
is a good cold reader who convinces his victim of his actual psychic powers.
This author goes on to say that the fortune-teller con entices his victim to go
into a trance state. “Trance”, as defined the anonymous author, is “a state of
mind a person maintains consistently not because it’s truthful…but because a
belief system keeps it in place.” Stage hypnotists assist their “volunteers” to
go into and stay in a trance. Nu points out that a mentalist with integrity
will also assist the volunteer to come out of her trance. Meanwhile, the
fortune-telling con will prod the victim to go deeper into her trance, and to
remain there.
The difference
between a Bunco artist and an ethical mentalist is “intent.” Though both use
secrecy to achieve their ends, the ethical mentalist intends to delight her
audience, and expand their notions of how the world works. Meanwhile, the Bunco
artist wants to isolate his victim in order to steal her money. He scares his
target into believing that only he can remove her “curse.” Through secrecy, the
Bunco artist keeps his victim entrapped in her erroneous belief system.
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