• [Dailystar Icon]
• News
• World News
• Crime

Millionaire shaman on the run after convincing victims they were cursed with 'black magic'

A fugitive shaman swindled desperate victims out of over 10m by claiming they were cursed, leaving behind safes stuffed with cash, gold, and luxury cars after her jaw-dropping scam was exposed

[A bogus shaman conned victims out of more than 10 million by claiming she could lift deadly curses]

A bogus shaman conned victims out of more than 10 million by claiming she could lift deadly curses(Image: Austrian Police Handout )

A fugitive woman claiming to be a shaman convinced victims they were cursed by black magic and swindled them out of millions. The alleged criminal has since left behind safes stuffed with cash and luxury goods after her jaw-dropping scam was finally exposed.

Marijana M., a Serbian woman who goes by the name Amela and claims to be a shaman, has recently captured headlines in Germany and Austria following her involvement in a multi-million euro fraud. Her actions were so outrageous that they have earned her a spot as a finalist for the satirical "Goldene Brett vorm Kopf" award, which recognizes the most absurd and dangerous manipulations.

However, it is Marijanas extensive criminal history that has truly captivated Europe in recent years.

[Marijana M. (44) is a shaman of Serbian origin ]

Marijana M. (44) is a shaman of Serbian origin (Image: Austrian Police Handout )

Previously convicted of multiple offenses, she served time in a German prison in both 2002 and 2005, after swindling six women in Munich out of 214,000 (181,900) by claiming she could foresee the future and predict death.

According to Austrian media, after her release, Marijana continued her fraudulent activities in Switzerland, where she received a 13-month suspended sentence for a similar scheme. In the summer of 2016, the self-proclaimed shaman was once again sentenced, this time to three years in prison in Vienna.

Marijana persuaded individuals that they were afflicted by black magic and a family curse, and then offered to perform cleansing rituals to remove these supposed threats, Serbian tabloid Blic reported.

[The fraudster and her family lived in luxury and even pocketed nearly 600,000 in benefits before their scam was exposed]

The fraudster and her family lived in luxury and even pocketed nearly 600,000 in benefits before their scam was exposed(Image: Austrian Police Handout )

In their desperation to be freed from supposed curses, people reportedly handed over hundreds of thousands of euros to Marijana, along with valuable jewelry, luxury watches, and even gold bars. Through these manipulative schemes, the fraudster managed to amass more than 12 million (10.2 million), with authorities seizing luxurious assets including luxury cars, gold, jewelry, and cash.

Marijana, along with her family members, have since been under investigation for serious fraud, money laundering, and forming a criminal organisation. The individuals under investigation include Marijana, her son Francesco, her daughter-in-law Donna (who also used the alias Ana), and her ex-husband Dejan; all are accused of participating in the fraudulent scheme, with the exception of Marijana, who remains at large while the others are in custody.

Amela and Ana, also known as the "psychic women", allegedly approached victims directly and, according to an investigation, "misled people. Georg Wells, chief investigator at the State Criminal Investigation Office of Lower Austria, told Blic: They pretended that their relative was going to die in a serious traffic accident.

[People gave her hundreds of thousands of euros, valuable jewelry, watches and gold bars, in order to save them from alleged curses]

People gave her hundreds of thousands of euros, valuable jewelry, watches and gold bars, in order to save them from alleged curses(Image: Austrian Police Handout )

To break the supposed curse, the scammers reportedly demanded money and jewelry for "purification rituals", assuring victims they would get their belongings back. In one case, a woman handed over more than 730,000 (620,500) and then lost all contact with the fraudsters.

Before their criminal activities were uncovered, the family clan lived in extraordinary luxury, amassing hundreds of thousands of euros in social benefits. Authorities seized assets valued at 12.6 million (approximately 10.7 million), including 25 kilograms of gold bars, jewelry, cash, and gold and silver coins hidden in a walled pool.

The haul also included 14 luxury cars and a villa near Vienna. Despite their considerable wealth, the family fraudulently claimed around 700,000 (about 595,000) in social benefits, according to investigator Wells.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.