Fortune Teller and 15 Others Arrested in Morocco for Fraud Scheme

The police operation was carried out in the home of a fortune teller commonly called "chouafa". She is engaged in fortune telling and other activities in the same genre. According to the DGSN, based on numerous testimonies and complaints received, the arrested "chouafa" is a specialist in "ldoun" (lead). She chases away bad vibes, casts spells, and her clients are from all social strata in Morocco, reports Hespress.

The activity is not illegal in Morocco. There is nothing wrong with chasing away evil spirits. But the authorities were interested in the case of this sorceress from Mohammedia, because of the exploitation of the naivety and psychological distress or ignorance of others to extort money from them. A session costs between 30 and 200 dhs. To attract the benevolence of the spirits, you have to go up to three sessions during a single consultation. Customers spend money without the assurance of being satisfied.

The other reason that prompted the DGSN to look into this practice is that it is an activity that escapes taxes and admits a gathering prohibited by these times of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the DGSN, the fortune teller’s sessions take place in a dark, discreet and especially confined place, with the smell of lead that makes the neighbors uncomfortable. The 15 other people arrested are all clients of the fortune teller. They came to cast spells or chase away evil spirits, the same source specifies.