The Psychic “Cleansing” Scam That Turned Vulnerability into Profit

By Jon Donnis

A federal case in the United States has put a familiar but still deeply unsettling type of fraud back under the microscope. According to an indictment from the Western District of Washington, a Texas couple allegedly ran a long-running scheme that targeted emotionally vulnerable people with promises of psychic intervention, spiritual cleansing and relief from imagined curses. The reality, prosecutors say, was far simpler. It was fraud dressed up as mysticism.

Bridgette Doreen Evans, also known as “Jolene Travis”, aged 47, and her partner Vinnie John Uwanawich, aged 44, are accused of conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, alongside multiple counts of both offences. The allegations suggest a coordinated operation that stretched over several years and drained at least $2.5 million from victims who believed they were seeking help for their personal and emotional struggles.

As alleged in the indictment, the approach was not random. It was targeted. Victims were drawn in during periods of emotional instability, including divorce, bereavement, isolation and general distress. Evans allegedly used social media to present herself as a psychic capable of diagnosing and resolving romantic misfortune. The framing was deliberate. People were not simply offered vague fortune telling. They were told their suffering had a cause, and more importantly, that it could be fixed.

“As alleged in the indictment, these perpetrators of ‘fortune teller fraud’ came into the lives of these victims at a time when their judgement was clouded by emotional loss and feelings of hopelessness,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Ms. Evans preyed upon their needs, convincing victims that she could ‘remove a curse’ and help them find love. In truth her scheme was simply to help herself to their wealth, leaving them further devastated.”

That description captures the central mechanism of the alleged scam. It was not built on convincing evidence or supernatural demonstration. It was built on emotional dependency. Once trust was established, the narrative reportedly shifted from general readings to specific claims of spiritual contamination. Victims were told that a curse was responsible for their misfortune, and that this curse had become attached to their finances.

From that point, the indictment alleges, the scheme became transactional.

Victims were reportedly asked to provide detailed information about their financial holdings. They were then instructed to liquidate assets, withdraw funds, or convert money into gold coins or cash. These assets were supposedly required for spiritual cleansing. The promise was consistent. Once the cleansing ritual was complete, the money would be returned.

It was never returned in any meaningful way, according to prosecutors.

Instead, the funds were allegedly absorbed into the operation. While small amounts were sometimes returned to victims, investigators say this functioned as a psychological tool rather than a gesture of honesty. These partial repayments helped sustain belief in the process, making later and larger transfers more likely.

The scale of the alleged losses varied. One victim is said to have transferred more than $2 million in cash and gold coins. Another reportedly sent around $86,000 through electronic payments for cleansing services. A third victim allegedly lost over $258,000 after being persuaded to take out loans to purchase a Corvette for Evans and to provide access to credit cards in order to clear what were described as “karmic debts”.

That last detail is particularly striking, not because of its extravagance, but because of its psychological framing. Debt was not presented as a financial problem. It was reframed as a spiritual condition requiring payment through increasingly irrational means.

According to the indictment, Evans also operated under additional names including Joy John and Joy Paige. The use of aliases is presented as a deliberate attempt to conceal identity, particularly given allegations that she had prior convictions related to psychic fraud in other jurisdictions. At various points, the scheme allegedly continued through intermediaries while Evans was incarcerated, with the “Jolene Travis” identity maintained to preserve continuity with victims.

Her partner, Uwanawich, is accused of playing a supporting but essential role. Prosecutors allege he managed financial accounts that received victim payments, facilitated the sale of gold coins, and helped move and spend proceeds from the scheme. He also allegedly reinforced Evans’ credibility when interacting with victims, acting as an additional layer of reassurance in what was presented as a legitimate spiritual service.

From a skeptical standpoint, the case follows a pattern that is depressingly consistent across many so called psychic frauds. The structure is not dependent on supernatural belief itself, but on emotional leverage. Vulnerability is identified, trust is built, a problem is diagnosed, and a costly solution is offered that cannot be independently verified.

The language of curses and cleansing plays a crucial role in that structure. It removes the possibility of objective testing. If a curse cannot be measured, it also cannot be disproved in a way that would immediately end the scam. If cleansing does not appear to work, the explanation is always deferred. More time is needed. More energy must be removed. More money must be invested.

This elasticity is what makes such scams so persistent. They are not broken by failure. They adapt to it.

“This case is yet another demonstration of how fraudsters exploit vulnerable situations to gain their victims' trust, even creating fake identities in an attempt to evade accountability and further schemes that last years,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The schemes may change, but the greed driving them does not. The FBI and our partners will follow the money to unravel these scams and ensure the conspirators responsible face the consequences of their actions.”

Legally, Evans and Uwanawich are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The charges they face carry potential penalties of up to twenty years in prison if convicted. For investigators, however, the case is already part of a broader category of fraud that continues to evolve but rarely changes in principle.

At its core, it is not about psychic ability. It is about trust being redirected into financial exploitation. The mechanics are simple. The consequences are not.

And while the language of curses and spiritual cleansing may sound archaic, the conditions that allow it to thrive remain very modern indeed. Emotional distress, online contact, and the promise that someone, somewhere, can remove suffering for a price.

By Jon Donnis

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When “Psychic Powers” Meet Reality: The Maria Williams Fraud Case

By Jon Donnis

Maria Williams, a 50-year-old from Lakemba, has pleaded guilty to four fraud offences linked to allegations that she spent years convincing people she could solve their problems through psychic “blessings”.

Court reporting describes how Williams presented herself as a “Master Psychic” and used names such as Celina and Anna. The pitch was always similar. People were told their troubles were not ordinary at all, but caused by curses, bad spiritual energy or unseen forces that only she could fix. The solution, naturally, involved money. Sometimes large sums of it.

Over time, victims handed over thousands, in some cases well into six figures, for cleansing rituals and blessings that were promised to restore balance and return their finances. That second part, according to court material, did not quite go to plan.

One woman reportedly gave around 225,000 dollars over several years after being told psychic intervention could save her marriage. Another handed over about 73,400 dollars in the mid 2010s, later recovered after police stepped in. In another case, a mother gave cash and gold coins for what she was told were protective blessings for her son. There was also a victim who lost around 164,000 dollars after selling her home, only to end up in severe financial difficulty.

Williams was arrested at Sydney International Airport in August 2024 and has remained in custody. Her husband, Larry Williams, also pleaded guilty to dealing with proceeds of crime linked to one of the victims and received an 18 month sentence.

There is a simple lesson buried in all of this, even if it is an uncomfortable one. Claims of special powers that require secrecy, fear, or ever increasing payments tend not to end well for the people paying the bills. Fraud cases like this show how long some schemes can run before they finally unravel, and how often they rely on trust, vulnerability, and desperation.

They also tend to end in the same way. Eventually, the paperwork catches up, the evidence is tested in court, and the people running the operation find themselves explaining it all in front of a judge rather than a client.

For anyone tempted by promises of instant spiritual fixes for money, health or life problems, this case is a reminder that extraordinary claims usually deserve ordinary scepticism. And for those running the schemes, it is also a reminder that even long running cons do not stay hidden forever.

Perth Couple’s Lotto Win Rewrites a Long-Held Clairvoyant Claim

By Jon Donnis

A Perth couple are still trying to process a sudden $1 million Lotto win after their numbers finally came up in last Monday’s Millionaire Medley draw, turning an ordinary weekly routine into something they are still struggling to believe.

According to a local news report, the win came for the northern suburbs pair after years of playing the same numbers each week, a habit that eventually aligned with the winning combination. For now, they are holding back from telling family while they adjust to the reality of what has happened, still describing themselves as completely overwhelmed by it.

“We aren’t quite ready to tell them yet because we are still gobsmacked and we feel like deer in the headlights,” the wife said, reflecting how unreal the moment still feels.

What makes the story stand out for them is not just the money, but the history attached to it. The woman previously shared tickets with her daughter, until a visit to a clairvoyant years ago changed that arrangement entirely.

“I used to play weekly in a shared ticket with my daughter, but many years ago, she dragged me with her to see a clairvoyant,” she said. “When the clairvoyant told her, ‘You don’t need to worry about your parents, they will be comfortable, but they won’t win Lotto or anything’, she decided she didn’t want to play with me any more.”

That prediction effectively ended the shared play, and now sits awkwardly in contrast to the outcome that followed. With a million-dollar win now secured, the couple are left with the simple fact that the forecast did not match reality, something they will eventually be telling their family when they reveal the news.

The couple say their plans are firmly grounded in family life, with overseas travel, home improvements and support for their grandchildren all part of what they intend to do with the money.

The husband admitted the win nearly did not happen at all, saying his routine is so fixed that even buying the ticket can sometimes slip his mind.

“I play the same numbers every week, across the week,” he said. “I get the ticket on Sunday, and then wait until the end of the week to check, so when Lotterywest called me, I didn’t pick up at first.”

Lotterywest spokesperson Jennie Fitzhardinge noted that delayed responses are not unusual, with some winners taking time before they even realise or respond to calls about their prize, including other unclaimed wins still being followed up.

Uri Geller: A History of Failures

Article by Jon Donnis

Uri Geller, the Israeli-born psychic known for his spoon-bending and other paranormal feats, has been a figure of fascination and controversy for decades. While Geller claims to possess genuine psychic abilities, a closer examination of his career reveals numerous failures and debunked performances that cast significant doubt on his purported talents.

1. The Johnny Carson Incident (1973)

One of the most famous incidents highlighting Geller's failures occurred on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1973. Carson, a former magician himself, was skeptical of Geller's abilities and prepared for the interview by consulting with magician and skeptic James Randi. They ensured that Geller would not have access to his own props and would be given only items provided by the show. Under these controlled conditions, Geller struggled and failed to demonstrate his abilities, unable to perform any of his usual feats of spoon bending or psychic readings. This high-profile failure significantly dented his credibility.

2. The "Project Alpha" Debacle

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, two young magicians, Steve Shaw (now known as Banachek) and Michael Edwards, were part of a project funded by the McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research. They claimed to possess psychic abilities and were investigated by researchers eager to validate paranormal phenomena. In reality, the duo was part of a hoax orchestrated by James Randi to expose the lack of scientific rigor in paranormal research. Their success in deceiving the scientists, until they revealed the truth, demonstrated how easily supposed psychics like Geller could manipulate poorly controlled experiments.

3. The SRI Tests

Geller participated in a series of tests at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in the early 1970s, which were initially reported to support his claims of psychic ability. However, the protocols of these tests were later criticized for being inadequate to prevent trickery. Critics, including James Randi and other skeptics, argued that the researchers were not experienced in dealing with magicians and thus failed to eliminate potential avenues for cheating. This criticism cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the positive results Geller obtained at SRI.

Read more at https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/cia/CIA-RDP96-00787R000500240021-0.pdf

4. The James Randi Lawsuit

James Randi, a relentless critic of Geller, published a book titled "The Truth About Uri Geller" in 1982, which accused Geller of being a fraud and performing simple magic tricks rather than genuine psychic phenomena. Geller sued Randi for libel, but the case was dismissed, and Geller was ordered to pay a significant portion of Randi's legal fees. The dismissal of the lawsuit reinforced the skepticism surrounding Geller's claims and highlighted the weakness of his legal and evidential positions.

5. The Failure in Israel (2007)

In 2007, Geller participated in a television show in Israel where he attempted to showcase his psychic abilities live. During the broadcast, he failed to perform as expected, notably struggling to bend a spoon and accurately read minds. This public failure in his home country further tarnished his reputation and demonstrated the inconsistency of his abilities.

6. The "Phenomenon" Mishap (2007)

Geller co-hosted a television show called "Phenomenon" alongside Criss Angel, a magician known for his skepticism of paranormal claims. During one episode, Angel challenged Geller and another contestant, Jim Callahan, to demonstrate their abilities under more stringent conditions. Geller avoided the direct challenge, and Callahan's attempt ended in a heated exchange rather than a successful demonstration. This incident highlighted the tension between genuine skepticism and Geller's claims, further undermining his credibility.

Conclusion

Uri Geller's career is a complex tapestry of claimed psychic phenomena, public fascination, and repeated failures under controlled conditions. While he has undoubtedly captivated audiences worldwide, the numerous instances where his abilities have been debunked or failed to manifest under scrutiny suggest that his talents may be more about showmanship than genuine psychic power. As with any extraordinary claim, it is crucial to apply rigorous skepticism and scientific inquiry to ensure that what is being presented as reality is not simply illusion.

Craig Hamilton‑Parker’s 2025 Psychic Fails: Royals, Politics, and UFOs That Never Happened

By Jon Donnis

Every New Year, UK tabloids and online media carry the forecasts of psychics, promising insight into politics, royal affairs, global unrest, and even UFOs. Few are as widely reported as Craig Hamilton‑Parker, a British psychic who publishes detailed "year ahead" predictions. As 2025 draws to a close, it is worth examining how his claims stacked up against reality.

At the start of the year, Hamilton‑Parker made headlines for some particularly bold predictions. Among the most talked-about were claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would divorce, that Sir Keir Starmer would be ousted from government, and that France and Germany would experience major social unrest. Additional forecasts included sweeping "anti‑woke" laws in the United States and full government disclosure of UFO files.

Looking at the year's events, these predictions largely failed to materialise. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain married as of December 2025, with no public indication of a divorce. Sir Keir Starmer continues in his role as Labour leader, untouched by any ousting scenario predicted earlier in the year. Social unrest in France and Germany remained relatively limited and certainly did not reach the dramatic scale forecast. In the United States, while cultural debates continue, there were no sweeping "anti‑woke" laws passed that match the specifics of Hamilton‑Parker's claim. Likewise, despite ongoing government briefings and media coverage, there has been no full disclosure of UFO files as suggested.

One prediction that may seem to have a partial match involved maritime trouble. Hamilton‑Parker suggested that a ship or tanker could encounter problems during the year. In March 2025, a collision involving the MV Solong cargo ship and the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker occurred off the English coast, resulting in a fire and rescue operation. While technically a correct event, the prediction was vague, and it is unclear if it was part of the New Year forecast or a mid‑year claim made after the fact. As such, it cannot be considered a clear success.

2025 Predictions vs Reality

Prediction: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will divorce
Outcome: Did not happen; couple remains married

Prediction: Sir Keir Starmer will be ousted from government
Outcome: Did not happen; still Labour leader

Prediction: Major social unrest in France and Germany
Outcome: No sustained or dramatic unrest matching the claim

Prediction: Sweeping "anti‑woke" laws in the US
Outcome: Did not occur as described

Prediction: Government UFO disclosure
Outcome: No full disclosure took place in 2025

Prediction: Ship or tanker in trouble
Outcome: A collision occurred in March; prediction vague.

The overall record for Hamilton‑Parker's 2025 predictions is stark. Of the six major claims publicly reported at the start of the year, five were demonstrably false, and one was ambiguous at best. This mirrors a long-standing trend among UK psychics featured in media: predictions may capture attention and generate headlines, but they rarely correspond to reality.

Hamilton‑Parker's forecasts are dramatic and narrative-driven. Royal drama, political upheaval, and global instability feature prominently, providing a compelling story for readers. Yet, as 2025 shows, they are far more effective at entertaining than predicting. For sceptical observers, the lesson is clear: media coverage of psychic predictions is largely a spectacle. The boldness of the claims draws attention, but their accuracy is consistently low.

In the end, Craig Hamilton‑Parker's 2025 predictions provide a cautionary tale about reading too much into psychic forecasts. While tabloids may present them as insider insight or prophetic vision, reality tells a different story. As we look ahead to 2026, readers would do well to approach similar forecasts with curiosity, but critical thinking should remain the primary guide. The New Year may bring surprises, but as 2025 proves, psychics rarely see them coming.