A Sydney fortune teller has swindled a single mum out of more than $22,000 (£12,200) in a scam that saw her life savings depleted.
Poonam, who asked to have her surname withheld, was approached by 'psychic' Pandit Valmiki Krishna's colleagues.
They coaxed her into a small fortune-telling shop down an old laneway in Liverpool, western Sydney.
But, what she thought would be a bit of a laugh ended up turning into a nightmare for the newly single mum.
Advert
The 'psychic' told her she was cursed and her children were in grave danger.
Poonam recalled to A Current Affair what Pandit Valmiki Krishna told her: "The only thing I can see at the moment is your kids, your kids’ lives are in danger."
She added: "They said [her children] had a bad soul around them and [the psychics] will come and take the bad soul away from them."
The single mum, who had recently been in a car accident, was also told that she would soon be in 'another accident'.
Advert
"I’m sitting there crying, [and he said] 'we have to come into a prayer for you, Poonam'," she said.
Poonam ended up forking out $30 (£16) for her initial hand reading.
But Krishna soon demanded another $830 (£462) to rid her of the curse that was supposedly plaguing her family.
Poonam told A Current Affair: "They're my children and this man was telling me their lives were in danger, what was I to do?"
Advert
He then told her that he and a 'master fortune teller' needed to do a home visit to rid her house of further black magic.
When they arrived, Poonam told A Current Affair that they put on a big show by squeezing lemons, fake blood, and removing statues that were cursed with bad spirits.
"For this, they demanded a further $21,000. I told them I didn't have this money and they told me to sell my car, sell my jewellery and other possessions," Poonam told A Current Affair.
She also claimed they gave her a drink that made her feel unwell.
While she was feeling ill she alleges they convinced her to transfer all of the money in her bank account to Krishna.
Advert
She later threatened to report them to the police, so Krishna allegedly returned some of the money.
Poonam is still $12,000 out of pocket.
When approached by A Current Affair, the fortune teller denied he told Poonam that her children’s lives would be at risk if she didn’t pay up.
He repeatedly said 'I don't know' and insisted he was 'not saying any lies (sic)' in front of TV cameras.
Advert
A sign outside the store claimed that the fortune teller could read someone’s 'past, present, future and kundli (birth chart)'.
They also offer 'house protection' from evil spirits and claim to help with 'husband and wife problems' and 'children mistakes'.
There are multiple versions of the same sign throughout the area in western Sydney, suggesting the 'psychics' may be working for an organised syndicate devoted to scamming hardworking Australians.
Pandit Valmiki Krishna has been contacted repeatedly for comment.
NSW Police have also been approached for comment.
Rachel Lang