Austrian police have activated a European arrest warrant for a woman they suspect of masquerading as a shaman to defraud victims out of significant amounts of money. The suspect, a 44-year-old Austrian citizen known only as "Mariana M" but who operated under the name Amela, was found to possess cash, jewelry, and gold totaling over 10 million euros (£8.3 million) at her residence in Mödling, near Vienna.
Her son, aged 29, has already been apprehended and remains in custody in Wiener Neustadt. Investigators think Mariana M may have scammed numerous individuals across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Reports reveal that one victim was told that a "close relative had been cursed" and that the suspect foresaw the relative's death. To "lift" this supposed curse, she demanded an outrageous sum of 730,000 euros for what she claimed were necessary 'cleansing rituals.'
After the victim met her demands by making several payments, Mariana eventually severed contact. Disturbingly, another individual later contacted the victim, claiming the "shaman" had lapsed into a severe coma as a result of the very ritual. Franz Popp, the Director of Police in Lower Austria, stated, "In a world in which many people are looking for answers to the essential questions of life, profiteers have established themselves who claim to possess supernatural powers."
He emphasized that these fraudsters exploit the trust of those in need of emotional or financial assistance. Police are urging anyone else who may have fallen prey to this scam to reach out to the Lower Austrian State Office of Criminal Investigation.
