NY’s rarely used fortunetelling law explained

This is some bad juju.

As multiple, high-profile scams by self-proclaimed clairvoyants made headlines this week, a little known New York state law cracking down on predatory fortunetelling has taken the spotlight.

The legislation is meant to protect people from getting swindled out of tens of thousands of dollars for services such as having themselves cleansed of curses or spirits. 

Supporters of the law say it’s a way to stop con artists who claim to be clairvoyant from targeting troubled people at their most vulnerable.

“I had a guy that was a rocket scientist, a teacher, an NYPD cop even,” former NYPD and Nassau County cop Bob Nygaard told The Post earlier this week about victims of such scams.

“It’s not a matter of education or intelligence. What law enforcement doesn’t realize is that anybody – anybody – will fall victim to a psychic scam if you’re in a vulnerable moment in your life.”

Empire State legislature made fortunetelling scams a Class B misdemeanor in 1967, mandating a penalty of up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine. The law was passed during a sweeping overhaul of the penal code, the New York Times reported.

Previously, these types of rackets were charged as disorderly conduct, meaning a person could only be sentenced to a much lighter 15-day max in jail and a $250 fine.

The law specifically made it illegal for someone to charge fees while claiming “to tell fortunes,” pretending the “use of occult powers,” and saying they can “exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses.”

Fortunetelling is allowed in the state as long as the reader makes it clear their services are only for entertainment purposes.

The law entered the spotlight this week as two self-proclaimed New York clairvoyants have been charged in unrelated cases for allegedly fleecing vulnerable victims.

In one case, Pamela Ufie allegedly conned a city hotel maid out of over $50,000 to vanquish the evil spirits that surrounded her and was charged by police with the crime. The charge was later dropped by prosecutors, as she was arraigned only on more traditional charges of grand larceny and fraud.

The charge was was formally filed in Nassau County court Friday, however, against self-described psychic Hemath Kumar Muneppa, who was busted Thursday for allegedly ripping off an elderly woman for “spiritual services” to the tune of some $60,000.

He was charged with grand larceny and fortunetelling, and released with out bail Friday.

Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, however, said the charges can be hard to make stick.

“It is virtually impossible to prove that a fortune teller, who insists that her actions are spiritual or possibly religious in nature, does not actually believe in her practices,” the article from May says.

Albert Dayan, the defense attorney for accused scammer Ufie, told Gothamist earlier this week, “she is presumed innocent, and all the evidence will be presented in the courtroom.”