A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History > Re

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher --- In this spellbinding true story, a pair of award-winning CNN investigative journalists tracks down the mysterious French psychic at the centre of an international scam targeting the elderly and emotionally vulnerable, resulting in an exposé of one of the longest-running cons in history. While investigating financial crimes for CNN Money, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken were intrigued by reports that elderly Americans were giving away thousands of dollars to mail-in schemes. With a little digging, they soon discovered a shocking true story. Victims received personalized letters from a woman who, claiming amazing psychic powers, convinced them to send money in return for riches, good health, and good fortune. The predatory scam has continued unabated for decades, raking in more than $200 million in the United States and Canada alone—with investigators from all over the world unable to stop it. And at the centre of it all—an elusive French psychic named Maria Duval. Based on the five-part series that originally appeared on CNN’s website in 2016 and was seen by more than three million people, A Deal with the Devil picks up where the series left off as Ellis and Hicken reveal more bizarre characters, follow new leads, close in on Maria Duval, and connect the dots in an edge-of-your-seat journey across the US to England and France. A Deal with the Devil is a fascinating, thrilling search for the truth and is long-form investigative journalism at its best.

To me, it is CRAZY that people fell for this scam but then again, think of the Nigerian Prince Scams,, The You WON a Cruise Scam, The Revenue Canada/IRS scams sent by text, etc. etc. (I can get 20+ A WEEK of these emails and text pleas ... crazy, too!) Ellis and Hicken did an amazing job uncovering the billion-dollar scam first for CNN and now in this book. It is written in a style that sucks you in, leaves you wondering and then makes you stay up late to finish the book. Great book ... read it and question the next scam letter that comes your way --- you will now thnk twice.