Cursed jewelry: how an Austrian "shaman" cheated wealthy Europeans out of millions (4 photos)
The "Valley" scheme is no longer relevant; we're moving on to new, more sophisticated scams. How about this scam of wealthy European women, whose jewelry was possessed by evil spirits? 
A high-profile investigation continues in Europe into a fraudster who posed as a shaman and defrauded dozens of wealthy women of enormous sums. The prime suspect is 44-year-old Mariana Mijailovic, an Austrian of Serbian descent, also known as Amela.
She and her accomplice, Anna, convinced wealthy clients in Vienna and Munich that their valuables and money were cursed by an evil spirit or hex. To remove the curse, the victims were required to hand over their valuables to a shaman for a special cleansing ritual.
Police allege that Mariana defrauded people in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. She told one victim that a close relative was cursed and that she predicted his death. To remove the supposed curse, the supposed shaman demanded €730,000 for "cleansing rituals." 
After receiving the jewelry, gold, and cash, Mariana would disappear, and the valuables would never be returned. Then, a second woman would inform the victim by phone that the "shaman" had fallen into a deep coma as a result of a ritual. And that was the end of all communication.
According to investigators, the scheme lasted over 10 years and affected at least 19 victims. The total damage is estimated at £8-10 million. 
Jewelry given to the shaman by the victims.
Police recently searched the suspect's home in the Vienna suburb of Maria Enzersdorf. They found approximately 25 kilograms of gold jewelry and bars, large sums of cash in dollars and Swiss francs, and a garage containing 14 luxury cars (including Aston Martins, Jaguars, and BMWs) worth approximately £280,000.
Mariana's son, her ex-husband, and her accomplice Anna, who already has several convictions for similar crimes, were arrested. However, the main suspect herself has gone into hiding and is now on the international Europol wanted list as one of Europe's most dangerous fugitives. 
Anna
The court ordered the confiscation and return to the victims of only a portion of the assets, approximately £2 million, since the origin of the remaining assets could not be proven to be criminal. The family claimed the wealth was accumulated through a legitimate real estate business. They worked tirelessly.
Police continue their search for Marijana Mijailović, hoping to return the remaining victims' valuables and bring the fraudster to justice. Looking forward to the Netflix adaptation.
