Victim Location 90028
Total money lost $11,000
Type of a scam Worthless Problem-solving Service Scam
I came to see Layla, the psychic at this establishment, for spiritual guidance. She offered to help me, first an initial $15 for a short reading. Then, she offered to take me on as a client, free of charge, saying it would be an example of her Christianity, to do so. We established what I thought was a close relationship, meditating, doing simple yet meaningful favors for each other (such as picking up baby formula for her son, giving her a ride, talking on the phone when I was going through a tough moment, etc.) This, I am realizing now, must have been a way to earn my trust. But she helped me find God, and we even went to Church together. She used cash and items I purchased for myself, to cleanse my energy of negativity. Trusting her as a friend, I kept my property in her hands, notably 10 gold coins she had convinced me to invest in with the intention that I could one day sell them back. Then one day, she sent a text message in the middle of the night expressing she felt taken advantage of and that she would reach out once she felt ready to work with me again; then, she blocked me. I haven’t been able to contact her ever since to ask for my coins back. Be warned: she changes her phone number often (due to the "bad energy"), thus making it difficult to contact her if you are not a "client". It has taken me some time to climb my way out of the debt I put myself in due to our relationship. Her scam deeply messes with people’s spiritual and mental health, and on top of that, it can severely damage them financially; this should be taken seriously.
I’ve made several attempts to visit her business after the initial shock dissipated and I came to my senses. Unfortunately, I have not been successful in finding her at normal business hours, and the number associated with her business does not seem to be in service. There were many red flags that, in retrospect, have come to light. But what I thought was kindness, may have all been an act. In the end, I’ve spent a good deal over $10,000 during my relationship with her, and am taking action to get answers and warn the community of her scam.
More details about her: She is of Middle-Eastern descent (possibly Turkish), blue eyes, light brown hair, young (around 29 years of age). She has a young son, maybe a second child at this point. She said her husband worked as a business-architect, traveling a lot. In our time together, I saw her mother (who went through cancer-treatment), her brother and husband (I saw briefly, so I cannot confirm if they were in fact family). She’s been seen at the nearby Burke Williams in Hollywood, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, and Sprouts (around the corner from her La Brea office).