Lucky Thompson - The Psychic Scam
The Story
A classic 'psychic' mail fraud where letters were sent to thousands of people claiming a psychic, 'Lucky Thompson,' could see a curse on their family. For a fee (starting at $50), she would remove the curse. Those who paid were identified as vulnerable and targeted again with increasingly expensive 'services'—sometimes thousands of dollars—to remove 'more powerful' curses, always needing more money.
🚩 Red Flags
- Unsolicited letter predicting a generic misfortune
- Demand for immediate cash payment to solve the problem
- Pressure and fear-based tactics
- Vague promises that require more and more money
- P.O. Box addresses, no physical location
⚖️ The Fallout
The perpetrator was eventually tracked down and convicted of mail fraud. The operation was run out of a small office, sending millions of letters. It demonstrated the scale and cruelty of mass-marketed psychic fraud.
📚 Lessons Learned
Exploits grief, fear, and superstition. Legitimate psychics don't send mass mailers. Any service that requires escalating payments for a 'fix' is a scam.
Related Scams