Police say they found Sacramento ‘psychic’ scammer who took $100,000 then fled town
Investigators have arrested a so-called “psychic” who promised Sacramento area victims to double their money but instead took from them about $100,000 in a scam, police said.
With the help of local news outlets and tips from the public, investigators found Perlita Afanacio-Ballester in Southern California last week. The 29-year-old woman was arrested on Jan. 28 in Orange County on charges that include grand theft and false impersonation, the Sacramento Police Department announced Thursday in a news release.
Police first learned of the psychic who called herself “Eva Maria” on the morning of Sept. 22, when patrol officers were called to the 1400 block of Helmsman Way in south Natomas. People gathered there to report they were victims of theft. The officers arrived and determined at least 10 of the callers were victims of fraud.
Authorities have said Afanacio-Ballester had promised the victims she would “bless” any amount of money she received by doubling it. She told the victims to return to a specific location, after a few days, to receive their doubled funds, according to police. The victims returned later and learned Afanacio-Ballester was gone, taking their money with her.
Police detectives obtained a suspect description and a photograph of her, which was released in hopes of identifying her. Local news outlets published the photo, along with a suspect description. Police also posted the information on social media sites and the “Most Wanted” list maintained by Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers.
“It is because of these efforts, that anonymous tips were submitted through Crime Stoppers and detectives were able to identify the suspect as Perlita Afanacio-Ballester,” officials said in the news release. “These efforts also resulted in the identification of more people that had fallen victim to this scam.”
Investigators ask anyone with more information about this case who believe they know someone who might have been victimized by this scam to call the Sacramento police at 916-808-5471 or Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Confidential tips can also be submitted using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Police say they found Sacramento ‘psychic’ scammer who took $100,000 then fled town."
