Indian Origin Astrologer Arrested in NY for $62K Scam

A 33 year old astrologer Hemanth Kumar Muneppa was arrested in Hicksville, New York. He is accused of scamming a 68year old woman out of $62,000. The woman believed that evil spirits were haunting her. Muneppa posed as a fortune teller and claimed to be able to remove the spirits.

Muneppa ran a business called Anjana Ji. It offered services like astrology, evil spirit removal and love spells. The victim had already paid $20,000 for psychic services. She was about to withdraw an additional $42,000 when bank employees became suspicious.

The staff at the bank alerted the police. Muneppa had driven the woman to the bank. Authorities arrested him on the spot. He faces charges of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny. He has also been charged with two misdemeanor counts of fortune telling.

Muneppa pleaded not guilty during his arraignment. He was released without bail. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor. The case is still under investigation. Authorities warn people to be cautious of similar scams.

The scam involved exploiting the woman’s fear of evil spirits. Muneppa used this fear to defraud her. The police continue to investigate the case.