Patrice Runner, Canada’s ‘psychic’ swindler is off to prison. But experts say we’re failing to prosecute this type of fraud

The elderly are still falling victim to silk-tongued strangers at worrying rates.

Toronto Star - 22 April 2024

• Maria Duval psychic scammer

• Global News - 22 April 2024

• CityNews Montreal - 22 April 2024

• BBC - 22 April 2024

Maria Duval - The Greatest Scam Ever Written - The Walrus - 23 July 2023

• https://thewalrus.ca/the-greatest-scam-ever-written/

How a Montreal copywriter swindled victims out of $200 million by pretending to be a legendary psychic

BY RACHEL BROWNE

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY PAUL KIM

PUBLISHED 06:30AM, JULY 26, 2023

The prosecution concluded with a simple argument: “We all have beliefs,” lawyer Charles Dunn told the jury. “You may think my beliefs are crazy. I could have the same opinion about your beliefs. We may think other people are foolish for what they believe. That’s okay. That’s not a crime. What’s not okay is taking advantage of people because of what they believe. What’s not okay is lying to them because you think they’re a fool. And it is criminal, it is a crime when you lie to them about their beliefs and take their money.” Dunn rebuffed the notion that Runner and his business were offering entertainment: “What Patrice Runner offered was fake spirituality. . . . He took advantage of people’s spiritual beliefs, and he lied to them, and he took their money.”

After nearly a week of trial, the jury agreed, convicting Patrice Runner on eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was found not guilty on four counts of mail fraud. He faces a sentence of up to twenty years in prison on each of the fourteen counts.

Runner has long considered the possibility that he might spend decades behind bars. While awaiting trial, he had been surrounded by inmates who fervently believed they would be released after trial, only to face the opposite. “I don’t pray to get out of here,” Runner once told me before the trial. “It’s discouraging to see people praying for what they expect to happen, like getting let out of jail, versus what they actually end up getting.” 

How Do I Protect My Gullible Grandma From Psychic Scams?

The Consumerist ( partner with the Consumer Reports) discloses what U.S. residents who have been victimized by Maria Duval scam artists. They can ask the Postal Service to file a "prohibitory order" against them. Follow their links to file complaints with your Attorney General, the FTC, and the Postal Inspector. The comments at the end of this short piece are also right on the mark.

Anyone who victimizes and targets the elderly should face prosecution. It's a real shame that Canadian authorities after many attempts to get them to do the same have fallen right on their royal Canadians.

The latest scam to reach my house on March 25, 2010 again used Canada Post Addressed Admail and it was probably mailed from Fort Erie, Ontario, right across the border from Buffalo. The return address was again the UPS Store in Woodbridge, Ontario. This licensee of the Canadian affiliated UPS Stores (formerly Mailboxes Etc.) refuses to do anything to stop these scammers. They have been renting the mailbox to this group since 2006. Nobody seems to care.

UPS Store refuses to divulge who is in Mailbox #100

After I received the second scam letter from DRC (Maria Duval) I called Erum Sher, one of the owners of the UPS store in Woodbridge, Ontario on March 8, 2010. I spoke to someone named Caitlyn who told me that they could not divulge the name of the people who own the mailbox. She asked me if "they had a phone number". What a bloody joke!!!

It is the store policy not to reveal who runs their mailboxes, even when the renters are scamming the public. I told her that I wanted to talk to Erum Sher about this, and she said that he didn't have a phone number, but if I gave her my phone number that I would hear back from him.

I gave her my e-mail address and am presently waiting for a reply from Mr. Sher. I'm not holding my breath.

UPS Store in Woodbridge, Ontario used by Maria Duval scammers

On March 8, and again on February 16, 2010 a direct mail piece arrived at my home address. It was from Destiny Research Center to get me to sign up for the Maria Duval Scam. It was personally addressed and contained my home address that these yahoos harvested from a list provider. The first mailing contained this Talisman, and the second one contained a picture. I haven't opened the envelope yet, because I will be taking it to the police station later today. 

I sent complaints to the RECOL.CA, the RCMP, the York Regional Police, Canada Post and some Members of Parliament and Queens Park.

It's obvious to me that the law has no interest in shutting these criminals down. They have operated out the same mailbox for about four years without any action by the authorities.

The mailer has been scanned in and you can view the entire piece including the envelopes and the Magic Talisman on my web site:

• Healthwatcher.net web site

If you received one of the Magic Talisman mailers via Canada Post, and you feel that you have been victimized by this scam and you live in YORK REGION please call the York Regional Police at 866-876-5423. Tell them you want to report a mail fraud and mention Maria Duval.

If you live elsewhere and you feel you have been ripped off, save all of your material and file a complaint with your local police. Send us a copy of your complaint, and let us know what your local police said to you.

You could also file a complaint with RECOL.CA - see below for the link.

You should also file a complaint directly to the following:

Erum Sher, UPS franchisee of the location where the scam is taking place.
905-850-6662
905-850-3945 fax

UPS Canadian operations and tell them you want to file a complaint about one of their franchisees:

MBE Canada Corporate Offices
505 Iroquois Shore Rd. Unit 4
Oakville, ON L6H 2R3
800-661-6232
905-338-9754
905-338-7491 fax

Please keep us posted by leaving comments.

Terry Polevoy

Scam Alert: Misfortune-Telling - AARP Bulletin

• AARP Bulletin exposed the Maria Duval scam way back in March 2006. Yet, the scams continue to this day. Here's a bit of what they had to say:

Just before Christmas, self-described psychic Maria Duval sent a letter to John Jerzgarzewski of Syracuse, N.Y. Within 90 days, she predicted, he would win a jackpot of up to $15,000. All he had to do was specify how he wanted to acquire his riches—by winning a lottery or a bingo game or at a casino—and send $35 in the enclosed envelope. Duval would provide the winning numbers and days to play.

Jerzgarzewski selected "lottery," wrote a check to Duval and sent it to the address in Everett, Mass., which turned out to be a UPS store. With that mailing, he would join thousands of other Americans who get conned again and again, usually for a few dollars at a time.

It's the classic "sucker list" mail scam: "Once you have expressed interest in one particular scam," says Sarah Nathan of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, "you could be inundated with information on other scams. The main purpose of some scams is just to create a sucker's list that gets passed around among other scammers."

After sending his check for Duval's winning numbers, Jerzgarzewski was bombarded with more mail from the clairvoyant Duval—at least a dozen letters in two weeks, says his daughter, Frances Jerzgarzewski, who lives in San Francisco. Some letters predicted newfound improvements in health and vitality. Others told of impending riches. All of them asked for $35 or $40 in exchange for more specific, personalized details about Jerzgarzewski divined from tarot cards, astrology and other forms of fortunetelling.

"My father sent Maria Duval at least seven checks in one month, all for $35 or $40," says Frances, 61, who discovered the payments during a recent holiday visit. "She promised him health. She promised him wealth. And my father is desperate for both, so he kept sending another check every few days." One Duval prediction said the 91-year-old would soon get the job promotion he long wanted.

He was also bombarded with other mail, beginning just days after his first check to Duval was cashed, from other companies peddling products that would make Duval's prophecies come true—miracle health cures, precious gems available for a fraction of their real worth, even prayers answered with the purchase of magical pendants.

Many of these solicitations, authorities believe, came from the same source—a mail-order marketing firm variously calling itself the National Parapsychology Center, Direct Health Organization, Guardian Angel, BioScience Health and Beauty Center or one of about 20 other phony names—including "Maria Duval." The company operates in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and is believed to be based in Canada—its phone number has been disconnected—but it operates out of at least four addresses in the United States, all mail-collection rental stores or other mail-collection rental facilities.

Firms like the one that runs Maria Duval buy or compile mailing lists and often sell them to other scammers, much the way legitimate companies sell their customer lists to other firms. They make their pitches by mail or phone.

Nathan offers this advice, should you get solicitations from crystal-ball gazers or anyone offering a sure-fire trajectory to prosperity: "Rip up any mail with offers that sound too good to be true. Hang up on any phone calls that promise you miracle cures or predict your future. You can also contact your state attorney general's office."

Joe Corrado of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is pursuing legal action against the Maria Duval firm, advises recipients of such solicitations to contact their local USPIS office.

To find yours, visit www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html or check the Yellow Pages.

"Don't respond to these offers," says Corrado. "Let us know about it, because we have a database that tracks these mailings—and some constitute mail fraud."

Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life, published by AARP/Sterling Publishing.

Maria Duval scam continues in Smart Source Canada

And don't forget to ask for your Free Gifts and your famous Talisman.

Smart Source Canadian edition - April 8, 2006.

Don't send her any money when you send in all of your confidential information folks. These scammers, and their agents that help publicize their junk are the ones with no money problems.

It's you and your family that they are after, you just wait for a few weeks and you will be swamped with all sorts of golden opportunities to give them your hard-earned money.

Remember - THERE IS NO MARIA DUVAL

• File a complaint with RECOL.CA if you have been ripped off!