Once again this week, were digging into the archives and replaying one of our favorite episodes for you.
Its part 2 of The Hidden World of Psychic Scams.
Last week, we met Debra who was at a low point in life and visited a psychic.
But instead of finding answers, she found herself in the middle of a crime scene.
The psychic stole $28,000 from Debra and similar amounts from other victims.
Heres host Will Johnson with the conclusion of the story.
That didn’t happen.
And said, this gentleman in the police department said, “Actually I do.”
And he referred me to Bob Nygaard.
[00:01:38] Will: Bob Nygaard is a retired New York cop and a private investigator.
His specialty is busting psychic scams.
[00:01:50] Debra: We had a very long meeting.
[00:02:07] Will: That’s how Bob starts all of his investigations.
He asks a lot of questions.
[00:02:16] Bob Nygaard: Usually it’s something involving love, money, or health.
What is bothering this person?
[00:03:28] Will: Yeah.
[00:04:32] Bob Nygaard: I do it like any other financial investigation.
[00:05:01] Will: As it turns out, Debra’s 500 bucks went a long way.
And he stayed on it for five years, and I paid him $500.
You’ll see the psychic sign with a neon sign, you’ll see them every three blocks.
They’re all over the place.
And the thing is, is that fortune telling is a crime in New York State.
And they’ll say, “Oh, it’s a civil matter.”
And they’ll turn them away.
[00:06:18] Will: But when Bob is on the job, he doesn’t give up easily.
[00:06:29] Will: How much money had Sylvia stolen?
[00:06:37] Bob Nygaard: Well in that case, there was a second victim.
I think between Debra and the other victim, the total was somewhere in the vicinity of $138,000.
[00:06:45] Will: Debra never told her family about the scam and losing all that money.
Even as the trial starts and she prepares to testify, she’s still keeping it a secret.
So I had no idea there would be press with cameras.
Don’t look at her.
I said, Okay, I can do that.”
[00:07:29] Will: And how did it go?
And that is what he tried to do for a very long time while I was on the stand.
Debra recalls what she read.
[00:08:27] Debra: It impacted me where my children were affected because of my finances.
[00:08:49] Will: Ultimately, Debra believes the letter made a big difference.
That was a, an amazing victory for the, the good guys.
I mean realize that you’re dealing with a vulnerable person who ran into a professional con artist.
Anybody can fall victim if they’re at a vulnerable point in their life.
And of course it got picked up by my local paper which, which was really fabulous.
That’s the title.
[00:11:26] Debra: I just didn’t anticipate all this negativity after something really great happened.
Being vindicated, um, was great, but the aftermath was a whole different ballgame.
Um, people from all over the country started sending little messages.
[00:12:17] Will: And as you might imagine, Bob Nygaard is still fighting the good fight.
[00:12:26] Bob Nygaard: No, no, I’m not resting on my laurels.
And uh, unfortunately, he went to the police.
They turned him away.
He was crying on the phone.
He says, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
It’s people like Bob Nygaard who are making a difference.
He’s an American hero.
Uh, he’s, he’s an amazing human.
Call the AARP Fraud Watch online grid Helpline at 877-908-3360.
Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next.
Our email address at The Perfect Scam is theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org.
And we want to hear from you.
Or, just send us some feedback.
That address again is theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org.
Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
For AARP’s The Perfect Scam, I’m Bob Sullivan.
Sylvia promises to hold on to the check and return it the next day.
However, Sylvia immediately cashes the check and cuts off all communication with Debra.
Debra tries a number of ways to get her money back including contacting the police to no avail.
Debra tells Bob about her case, and he agrees to take it on.
Bob works to chase down the facts, trying to get Debra justice.
He finds that Sylvia has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims.
It takes five years, but Bob finally gathers enough evidence to take down Sylvia.
For instance, if you are looking for a job you are more vulnerable to a work-at-home scam.
