Edmonton police are foreshadowing trouble after some people were duped by fraudulent astrologers and psychic readers into believing they were cursed with black magic or witchcraft.
Police say they've been getting complaints about such scams since April.
They say victims across Canada have paid between $2,000 and $15,000 to self-proclaimed fortune tellers.
In one case a family paid $85,000, but the fraudsters left the country and no arrests were made.
Investigators point to requests for upfront money to carry out healing rituals, or expensive plans to perform prayers, as signs of fraud.
Const. Harpreet Jhinjar, an Edmonton police spokesman, says in a release that it's difficult to track the criminals, who often have visas and quickly disappear when they believe they could be caught.
"These fraudsters are experienced and have stolen money from a lot of people. It's important to report incidents to police immediately so there is a higher chance of locating the suspects."
Edmonton police and the Canada Border Service Agency are working together to find and remove the scammers from the country.
