Latest news with #Muneppa
Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Evil spirit removal and $60,000 scam: Indian-origin astrologer arrested in US for scamming
An Indian origin fortune teller was arrested in New York after charging a woman more than $60,000 for fortune telling. The 33-year-old man, Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, is facing charges relating to grand larceny and fortune telling.(Representational) The 33-year-old man, Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, is facing charges relating to grand larceny and fortune telling, according to CBS News. Under New York state law, it is illegal to charge for fortune telling services, unless it is for entertainment purposes. 'Telling fortunes', 'exorcising evil spirits', or providing any sort of occult advice is classified as a Class B misdemeanor. Nassau County Police said Muneppa was arrested from Hicksville on July 18. The police said that the man initially charged a 68-year-old woman $20,000 for fortune telling services on July 3. The woman returned for additional services at Anjana Ji, CBS News reported. The website of the company, located at on South Broadway, says it offers several services related to astrology, ranging from "evil spirit removal" to "love spell caster." However, Muneppa asked the woman to pay an extra amount of $42,000, following which she was taken to a Broadway bank to withdraw the money. When the woman went to withdraw the amount, the bank officials raised questions, thus eventually calling in the police when they learnt it was for psychic services. 'The victim was advised she may be being scammed, and police were called for assistance,' the Nassau County Police Department said. Muneppa was arrested in the parking lot, and was produced before a court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the New York Post. He was later released on bail, but will still have to wear an ankle monitor. Meanwhile, a local clothing store owner Mehwish Saeed told NBC4 that the employees working at the astrologers' were 'just making people a fool'. 'Playing with somebody's feelings and giving them false hope. That's really bad,' she said.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
Banish evil spirits: Indian-origin astrologer arrested in NYC for scamming senior citizen, bank raised alarm
Indian-origin astrologer arrested in NYC for scamming a senior citizen promising to banish evil spirits. Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, a 33-year-old Indian-origin astrologer, was arrested when a bank raised an alarm that a senior citizen was probably getting scammed, as the 68-year-old woman went to the bank to withdraw $42,000. This was to meet the astrologer's additional demand as the woman had already paid $20,000 to the astrologer who promised to banish evil spirits. CBS News reported that the woman believed that evil spirits were targeting her. She consulted Muneppa, who works at a psychic and astrology business called Anjana Ji on South Broadway, posing as a fortune teller who could purchase the power to fight evil spirits if the victims give him money. In a written statement to prosecutors, Muneppa allegedly admitted, "I did a few palm reading and astrology readings. She gave me a bunch of money… all $100 bills." . He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday and was released without bail. He has been asked to wear an ankle monitor and stay away from the victim. NBC4 reported that Muneppa, a father of two, did not make any comment on the accusations. Muneppa was arrested without any incident as he was present with the senior citizen when she went to the bank to withdraw another $42,000. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo The bank raised an alarm and called the police, suspecting that the woman was being scammed. Fortune-telling is an offence in New York According to New York State law, it is illegal to charge for fortune-telling services, unless solely for entertainment or amusement purposes. Fortune telling is considered a class B misdemeanor. "A person is guilty of fortune telling when, for a fee or compensation which he directly or indirectly solicits or receives, he claims or pretends to tell fortunes, or holds himself out as being able, by claimed or pretended use of occult powers, to answer questions or give advice on personal matters or to exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses; except that this section does not apply to a person who engages in the aforedescribed conduct as part of a show or exhibition solely for the purpose of entertainment or amusement," the law says
India Today
21-07-2025
- India Today
Evil spirits and a scam: Indian-origin astrologer arrested in New York
A 33-year-old Indian-origin astrologer was arrested in New York's Hicksville in connection with an alleged fortune-telling scam that authorities said targeted a senior citizen woman and cost her tens of thousands of dollars. According to the US authorities, the woman believed she was being targeted by "evil spirits" and sought help from the self-proclaimed fortune Kumar Muneppa, 33, from Queens, was arrested at a bank after staff noticed a possible scam. The victim, who had already given him $20,000 (approximately Rs 16.7 lakh), was trying to take out another $42,000 (approx Rs 35 lakh) to pay for psychic services, the New York Post reported, citing to investigators, Muneppa worked out of a psychic and astrology business called Anjana Ji on South Broadway, that offers astrology, "evil spirit removal", "love spell caster" and more, according to its website. Muneppa posed as a fortune teller at the business and offered to "purchase the power to fight evil spirits" on the victim's behalf, according to a report in the Daily 68-year-old woman had got her first expensive reading a few days earlier, then went back to Anjana Ji for more services. There, Muneppa asked her for another $42,000 and drove her to a nearby bank to take out the bank staff noticed a possible scam and Muneppa has since been charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree attempted grand larceny, and two misdemeanour counts of fortune-telling – a rarely used statute in New York that criminalises accepting money for spiritual services unless they are strictly for entertainment, the Daily Mail said the victim thought she was being haunted by evil spirits and went to Muneppa for pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Friday and was released without bail; however, he was forced to wear an ankle monitor, according to the New York WOMAN MISLED BY SELF-PROCLAIMED FORTUNE TELLERMehwish Saeed, who owns a clothing store near the psychic shop, also claimed her daughter also visited the business and was misled, the Daily Mail said those who hurt people's feelings should be punished."Playing with somebody's feelings and giving them false hope, that's really bad," Saeed was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail."They're just making people a fool, so they deserve to be punished," Saeed County Police, New York, have said that anyone who believes they may have been a victim in this case should contact them.- Ends
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Indian Express
Man offers spiritual guidance, dupes NYC woman of over Rs 17 lakh
A man from New York City has been arrested for allegedly cheating an elderly woman out of over Rs 17 lakh by offering fortune-telling services, CBS News reported. According to local police cited by CBS News, 32-year-old Hemanth Kumar Muneppa was taken into custody on Thursday after the woman, aged 68, reported that he had demanded large sums of money to perform rituals and offer spiritual guidance. The woman first paid Muneppa $20,000 (around Rs 17 lakh) earlier this month for his services. When she returned for additional services, he allegedly asked for another $42,000 (around Rs 35 lakh). Muneppa then accompanied her to a bank to withdraw the money, but the staff raised an alarm and contacted the police, who arrested him on the spot. Muneppa was associated with a company, Anjana Ji, which claims to offer services like 'evil spirit removal' and 'love spell casting', according to the company's website. Under New York State law, fortune telling is illegal if conducted for a fee, unless it is explicitly for entertainment purposes. As per the statute quoted by CBS, charging money for claiming to influence or remove curses, offer spiritual solutions, or predict the future is a Class B misdemeanor. 'A person is guilty of fortune telling when, for a fee or compensation which he directly or indirectly solicits or receives, he claims or pretends to tell fortunes, or holds himself out as being able, by claimed or pretended use of occult powers, to answer questions or give advice on personal matters or to exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses; except that this section does not apply to a person who engages in the aforedescribed conduct as part of a show or exhibition solely for the purpose of entertainment or amusement,' the law reads. The man is now facing charges of grand larceny and illegal fortune telling and is scheduled to be produced before court.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- New York Post
LI psychic charged under little-used NY anti-fortunetelling law after allegedly scamming a woman out of $62K
A self-proclaimed Long Island psychic was charged with grand larceny and fortunetelling — a little-used misdemeanor in New York — after allegedly scamming a senior citizen out of tens of thousands of dollars, officials said. Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, 33, of Queens, was arrested at a bank in Hicksville, where employees spotted the alleged scam as the victim — who had already been bilked for $20,000 — was trying to withdraw $42,000 more to pay for psychic services, officials said. The unidentified woman had received her first pricy reading days earlier, and returned for additional services at Anjana Ji on South Broadway, where Muneppa demanded another $42,000 and drove her to a nearby bank to withdraw it. Advertisement Muneppa was arrested at a bank in Hicksville. Nassau County Police Lucky for her, the financial institution's alert employees warned the woman she was most likely being scammed and alerted the cops. Anjana Ji is a psychic service that advertises astrology, 'evil spirit removal,' 'love spell caster,' and more, according to its website. Prosecutors said Muneppa 'knowingly and unlawfully engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from the victim by falsely representing himself as a fortune teller with the power to combat evil and dark spirits.' Advertisement Muneppa pled not guilty to the charges at his arraignment Friday and released without bail, however is forced to wear an ankle monitor. The fortunetelling charges are a rarity in Nassau County, and broader New York, with the law stating that unless it is purely for entertainment purposes, receiving money to tell fortunes or give readings is a crime at the state level. Prosecuting fortunetelling can be difficult, even through grand larceny statutes, and has been challenged on grounds that it violates the First Amendment, according to the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review. Advertisement '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. Another accused fortuneteller was busted in New York City earlier this week for allegedly bilking some one out of $50,000 over a few years with bogus reading — and was initially charged under the law. But the little-used charged was dropped when Pamela Ufie, 28, was arraigned and she wound up being charged with one count of grand larceny and two counts of fraudulent accosting, according to court documents. Officials are asking anyone who may have been a victim of Muneppa or Anjana Ji in the alleged fortune-telling scam to contact the Nassau County Police Second Squad at 516-573-6200.
