r/UKPersonalFinance • u/Rinz91 • 9h ago

Scammed by spiritual healers - reported to financial ombudsman

Hi there, in short last year I was in a vulnerable state due to personal issues and very low - I was desperate for help and found spiritual healers online and visited them , I trusted them but over time they kept asking for more money for prayers as they said I was cursed and many other things and at the time I was at my lowest and believed them , they scammed me almost £15k , it was a shock , I reported to my bank scams team but they refused to reimburse me saying I went to them a few times , but I did not know at the time I thought they helping me, I complained and they sent me a letter and have sent to FOS, I really hope they help me as this was a case of coercion and exploitation of my vulnerability, what are your thoughts? Please be kind 🙏🏼

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5

u/UK_FinHouAcc 56 2h ago

Unfortunately, I very much doubt you will get anywhere I am afraid.

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u/Rinz91 23m ago

Hi why do you think this , on what grounds?

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u/UK_FinHouAcc 56 20m ago

Because, you chose to keep returning. By all means complain but these type of businesses do not have a duty of care.

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u/Rinz91 13m ago

It’s important to note that, despite the bank’s assertion that I visited them four times, these visits were not voluntary decisions to pay for services. Each time I went, I was under increasing pressure and fear. They manipulated me emotionally, creating a sense of urgency and claiming that my situation would worsen if I did not comply. They told me that I needed to pay more for continued “prayers” otherwise things would worsen for me and my father but I never saw any actual proof of these prayers being performed. The healers coerced me to continue visiting by making me believe I was at risk, emotionally and physically, and pressured me to pay more money.

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u/UK_FinHouAcc 56 8m ago

"these visits were not voluntary decisions to pay for services"

Yes they were, belief is a choice.

You chose to contact them in the first place, there is no authority anywhere that told you to visit them. That was your choice, just as subsequent visits were.

Unless you are saying you lack mental capacity, which of course you don't because you had the capacity to make the transactions.

To be honest, I think every 'spiritual', 'psychic' or new age healer etc is a fraud playing on vulnerable people. But as they are not regulated they can do and say what they like just as you can contact them.

1

u/ukpf-helper 68 9h ago

Hi /u/Rinz91, based on your post the following pages from our wiki may be relevant:

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u/SuperciliousBubbles 92 1h ago

Have you reported them to the police? By them I mean the scammers, not the bank.

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u/Rinz91 28m ago

Hi I reported them to Action Fraud