Naples, "I talk to the dead": This is how the fake psychic extorted money live on social media.

Naples – "I am the intermediary to the dead." Thus, in front of her phone camera, a self-styled psychic from the Neapolitan hinterland hooked users on social media, promising contact with their deceased loved ones.

When he understood that someone on the other side of the screen had taken the bait, the second phase was triggered: the request for money.

According to the complaints filed, the woman allegedly created a real live "liturgy": live sessions in which she claimed to perceive messages from the afterlife and, at moments of heightened emotional involvement, she would suddenly interrupt the connection.

In order to continue, he claimed, users would have to make donations in virtual currency, which would then be converted into real money.

Donations in virtual currency

The alleged fraudulent scheme was reconstructed by lawyer Sergio Pisani, representing five women who believe they were victims of the fake medium. Some of them live abroad but, through social media, allegedly entered the Neapolitan "psychic"'s network, believing they could have one last conversation with their missing mothers, fathers, or relatives.

Only later, after having paid significant sums, did they realize they had been scammed and decide to report it.

"The picture that emerges highlights dangerous cases of emotional manipulation aimed at profit, with particularly damaging consequences for vulnerable users," the lawyer explains.

According to Pisani, the woman didn't act alone: ​​"Together with a group of moderators," he claims, "she exerted constant psychological pressure on those who couldn't donate daily, playing on their sense of guilt and fear of losing contact with their deceased loved ones."

Another disputed element is the professional image the self-proclaimed psychic has constructed. On several occasions, both during live broadcasts and in private conversations, the woman allegedly claimed to be a psychologist.

A qualification which, according to the alleged victims' story, would have influenced their decision to trust, pushing them to open up and confide their pain, grief and personal fragility.

"The self-styled medium gained the trust of vulnerable people to milk them," Pisani claims, describing a "systematic influence" on those in a particularly vulnerable emotional state. Investigators will now have to verify the validity of the accusations, reconstruct the money flows associated with virtual donations, and determine any criminal liability.

The case is part of a growing phenomenon of pseudo-gurus and fake psychics exploiting social media platforms to target people in mourning or psychological distress, turning their pain into a means of profit. The complaints filed could pave the way for further reports from users who, until now, have been unable to come forward.