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A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History
In this spellbinding true story, a pair of award-winning CNN investigative journalists track down the mysterious French psychic at the center 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 center 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.
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 center 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.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2018
73 people are currently reading
1695 people want to read
About the author
Blake Ellis
8 books25 followersBlake Ellis is an award-winning investigative reporter at CNN.
She and her writing partner Melanie Hicken have exposed everything from widespread sexual abuse in nursing homes to the little-known debt collector doing the government’s dirty work.
Over the years, the investigative duo's work has prompted legislative action and government investigations. They have been honored by organizations including the International Association of Broadcasting, the National Press Club, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Newswomen's Club of New York, the Peabody Awards, the Radio Television Digital News Association and the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Blake lives in Denver and is a graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
She and her writing partner Melanie Hicken have exposed everything from widespread sexual abuse in nursing homes to the little-known debt collector doing the government’s dirty work.
Over the years, the investigative duo's work has prompted legislative action and government investigations. They have been honored by organizations including the International Association of Broadcasting, the National Press Club, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Newswomen's Club of New York, the Peabody Awards, the Radio Television Digital News Association and the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Blake lives in Denver and is a graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
August 4, 2018
2.5 stars
Meh... A Deal With the Devil promises more than it delivers. The authors are two CNN reporters who follow the trail of a scam that preys on older vulnerable people. The scam involves letters sent by an apparent psychic, Maria Duvall, who seeks payment to protect against bad fortune. The authors set off to figure out if Maria Duvall exists, and what lies behind the scam. While the scam has led to much personal hardship, what they find isn’t all that extraordinary or surprising. In the end, it feels like having spent so much time investigating the Maria Duvall letters, the authors felt compelled to write a sensationalistic book about their quest and what they found, but I often felt like their narrative was overblown. I doubt this was the biggest scam in history. Greedy people preyed on vulnerable people. Sad but, unfortunately, not uncommon. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
Meh... A Deal With the Devil promises more than it delivers. The authors are two CNN reporters who follow the trail of a scam that preys on older vulnerable people. The scam involves letters sent by an apparent psychic, Maria Duvall, who seeks payment to protect against bad fortune. The authors set off to figure out if Maria Duvall exists, and what lies behind the scam. While the scam has led to much personal hardship, what they find isn’t all that extraordinary or surprising. In the end, it feels like having spent so much time investigating the Maria Duvall letters, the authors felt compelled to write a sensationalistic book about their quest and what they found, but I often felt like their narrative was overblown. I doubt this was the biggest scam in history. Greedy people preyed on vulnerable people. Sad but, unfortunately, not uncommon. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
August 18, 2019
A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History
– an overdramatic and misleading title for a book that was as vanilla as an ice cream cone. OK, maybe a vanilla cone with a few sprinkles on top.
The book chronicles the investigative journey of two CNN reporters, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken, as they follow leads on a serious issue – the bilking of money from the elderly through international direct mail scams. The fraud involved a mysterious “psychic,” Maria Duval, and the millions of innocent victims she swindled out of savings by promising rewards of money and good fortune.
In 2016, CNN relayed a five-part series on their website about this investigation; the book is a companion piece to that, giving more details about the inquiry. I think it's important to have seen the series in order to get the most out of this book. Unfortunately, I did not see it, so my perception of the story most likely is a reflection of that missing element.
Journalists Ellis and Hicken spent many months and many leads tracking down the source of the elusive Maria Duval. Was she a real person, or the creation of some other corrupt entity or business, which had no qualms about preying on elderly, and sometimes ill, men and women?
The story starts out interestingly enough, as the journalists describe their initial involvement in the investigation, and their discussions with family members or actual victims of the scams. They relate in detail their correspondence with the victims and with others who claimed to know Maria Duval, and the arduous task of piecing the clues together.
Unfortunately, these details run on for the majority of the book, and although it is obvious this was a time-consuming and often frustrating job for the investigators, the recounting of their research become repetitious and boring. Fortunately, change happens about two-thirds of the way in, when actual discussions and meetings with critical persons take place, both in America and in France.
There is no doubt that this was a valuable and relevant investigation. I felt there was something missing throughout the book, however, as I expected and hoped there would be more of a resolution as a direct result of the exposé. I was disappointed that there was not a deeper follow-up into what seemed to me to be the real story beneath the psychic cover, but to avoid spoilers, I won’t go into detail. As mentioned previously, if I had seen the series in advance, I would have known more about what to expect and possibly could fill in some of the blanks I thought were missing.
An interesting story, but not as “dark and twisted” a read as I had hoped.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria (Simon and Schuster) for an advanced copy for my honest review.
3 stars
The book chronicles the investigative journey of two CNN reporters, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken, as they follow leads on a serious issue – the bilking of money from the elderly through international direct mail scams. The fraud involved a mysterious “psychic,” Maria Duval, and the millions of innocent victims she swindled out of savings by promising rewards of money and good fortune.
In 2016, CNN relayed a five-part series on their website about this investigation; the book is a companion piece to that, giving more details about the inquiry. I think it's important to have seen the series in order to get the most out of this book. Unfortunately, I did not see it, so my perception of the story most likely is a reflection of that missing element.
Journalists Ellis and Hicken spent many months and many leads tracking down the source of the elusive Maria Duval. Was she a real person, or the creation of some other corrupt entity or business, which had no qualms about preying on elderly, and sometimes ill, men and women?
The story starts out interestingly enough, as the journalists describe their initial involvement in the investigation, and their discussions with family members or actual victims of the scams. They relate in detail their correspondence with the victims and with others who claimed to know Maria Duval, and the arduous task of piecing the clues together.
Unfortunately, these details run on for the majority of the book, and although it is obvious this was a time-consuming and often frustrating job for the investigators, the recounting of their research become repetitious and boring. Fortunately, change happens about two-thirds of the way in, when actual discussions and meetings with critical persons take place, both in America and in France.
There is no doubt that this was a valuable and relevant investigation. I felt there was something missing throughout the book, however, as I expected and hoped there would be more of a resolution as a direct result of the exposé. I was disappointed that there was not a deeper follow-up into what seemed to me to be the real story beneath the psychic cover, but to avoid spoilers, I won’t go into detail. As mentioned previously, if I had seen the series in advance, I would have known more about what to expect and possibly could fill in some of the blanks I thought were missing.
An interesting story, but not as “dark and twisted” a read as I had hoped.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria (Simon and Schuster) for an advanced copy for my honest review.
3 stars
Want to read
May 17, 2018
But, seriously, cons fall in my favorite category of crimes and the CNN Money article series was really intriguing, so I'm putting this on my to-read list.
Read
July 13, 2018Hello readers! Thank you all so much for reading our book and taking the time to review it. We just wanted to let you know that the version hitting bookshelves on August 7th has a brand new ending (based on an exciting and very last-minute development) that we barely had time to get in the final pages. It provides some interesting closure to our wild adventure, so be sure to check it out if you’re interested in finding out what happened.
October 12, 2018
It's informative to a great degree for a scam web that has entrapped millions of people (yes, millions) over the last 20 or more years. It's a very worthy case/ crime trap to expose to the public too. These two women tried to find the end of the threads and if there was a Marie Duval who was actually one live woman. But the entire is so international and insidiously intertwined to origins and outcomes of the scam money's end? Is it 20 perpetrators in a cabal? One only named Marie Duval?
This book was dark. It's actually depressive within these examples and pitiable isolating steals of no end. As if empathy is worth how many dollars, or Euros? What kind of sadness in itself to hear the tales of all these lonely, lonely and usually sick in some aspects humans who would pay for "luck" and a word or two of "compassion". The victims of this terrible abuse requiring money for "luck" and "health". What perp of any decent human conscience or value could do this to such poor and unhappy people in the first place?
It would have been a 4 star if the various searches would have been better arranged for the telling? More chronological and direct to the questioning of the intermediate links? I'm not sure. But the way the book authors used word craft and direction toward the title con history! At times it expressed their own ire more than made the path to "understand" less confusing and more factual.
But the real reason I rounded it down to a 3 star, despite the information I did learn about how these terrible cabals form and use the masses of common elderly or impaired in some way wasn't in the writing order or skill. It was in the tone.
There were passages nearly every chapter once the search and travel were underway that were off putting to me. In the language of description and interchange patterns especially. The writer assuming some real arrogant disdain and put downs to nearly any inquiry source met. Sarcastic and full of guile to their own "superior" opinion how everyone should just stop and give them full time and fawning attention to the searchers RIGHT NOW. Near the ending I was skipping over some of these "descriptive" observations. And these are people who ask other people questions as part of their living?
It could have been covered better with a more thorough to facts and less aside tangent judgments in 1/2 the copy it took here. But this IS something that postal and other governmental powers should be much more strongly prosecuting. Places of entry for the mail like that area core "drop" in Reno, NV- those should be nailed and traced to "owner" far, far more quickly then they are. $200 million is a low estimate, IMHO, of what was bilked from simple and trusting old. Despicable!
This book was dark. It's actually depressive within these examples and pitiable isolating steals of no end. As if empathy is worth how many dollars, or Euros? What kind of sadness in itself to hear the tales of all these lonely, lonely and usually sick in some aspects humans who would pay for "luck" and a word or two of "compassion". The victims of this terrible abuse requiring money for "luck" and "health". What perp of any decent human conscience or value could do this to such poor and unhappy people in the first place?
It would have been a 4 star if the various searches would have been better arranged for the telling? More chronological and direct to the questioning of the intermediate links? I'm not sure. But the way the book authors used word craft and direction toward the title con history! At times it expressed their own ire more than made the path to "understand" less confusing and more factual.
But the real reason I rounded it down to a 3 star, despite the information I did learn about how these terrible cabals form and use the masses of common elderly or impaired in some way wasn't in the writing order or skill. It was in the tone.
There were passages nearly every chapter once the search and travel were underway that were off putting to me. In the language of description and interchange patterns especially. The writer assuming some real arrogant disdain and put downs to nearly any inquiry source met. Sarcastic and full of guile to their own "superior" opinion how everyone should just stop and give them full time and fawning attention to the searchers RIGHT NOW. Near the ending I was skipping over some of these "descriptive" observations. And these are people who ask other people questions as part of their living?
It could have been covered better with a more thorough to facts and less aside tangent judgments in 1/2 the copy it took here. But this IS something that postal and other governmental powers should be much more strongly prosecuting. Places of entry for the mail like that area core "drop" in Reno, NV- those should be nailed and traced to "owner" far, far more quickly then they are. $200 million is a low estimate, IMHO, of what was bilked from simple and trusting old. Despicable!
July 27, 2018
I loved this debut book from investigating journalists Melanie Hicken and Blake Ellis. I felt like I was part of their writing team, unraveling the case along with them. Every step of the journey was just as fascinating (and surprising!) as the last! I received an advanced reader's copy of the book, but I see that Hicken said there is a brand new ending, so I preordered a copy just to learn the new twist! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.
August 10, 2018
An unpolished, belabored, and anticlimactic account of the authors' investigation into an oft-invisible network of mailers preying on the elderly.
The story itself is interesting, but it is undermined by the grueling description of the journalists' investigation into it. What I as a reader (unaware of the pre-existing CNN article) expected was a concrete assortment of the results of their investigation with minimal context regarding how they tracked down their leads and only the most interesting parts of their months-long hunt.
Instead, I got a story that has several spelling errors scattered throughout and reads like a last-minute essay where the author has struggled to bulk the word count. Details are repeated many times over and the authors have a habit of noting how suspicious or surprising a fact is when it's revealed, as if the reader herself was incapable of forming her own impressions. Even the most basic of logical conclusions is tediously guided by the authors. Despite my suspicion that this was driven primarily by the need to fill space in this book, I was still irritated by the condescension it oozes.
There is no narrative for the reader to grow attached to, so any attempted twist fails in execution. The authors reveal the truth behind a mystery or line of thought as soon as they introduce it. This book is likely going to be more effective than Ambien at inducing a deep sleep, with fewer side effects.
Bottom line: There's already an article about this same case out there, which undermines this book's market. If you want the same story presented in a more compact, more compelling form without needless fluff or protracted writing, just read that instead.
The story itself is interesting, but it is undermined by the grueling description of the journalists' investigation into it. What I as a reader (unaware of the pre-existing CNN article) expected was a concrete assortment of the results of their investigation with minimal context regarding how they tracked down their leads and only the most interesting parts of their months-long hunt.
Instead, I got a story that has several spelling errors scattered throughout and reads like a last-minute essay where the author has struggled to bulk the word count. Details are repeated many times over and the authors have a habit of noting how suspicious or surprising a fact is when it's revealed, as if the reader herself was incapable of forming her own impressions. Even the most basic of logical conclusions is tediously guided by the authors. Despite my suspicion that this was driven primarily by the need to fill space in this book, I was still irritated by the condescension it oozes.
There is no narrative for the reader to grow attached to, so any attempted twist fails in execution. The authors reveal the truth behind a mystery or line of thought as soon as they introduce it. This book is likely going to be more effective than Ambien at inducing a deep sleep, with fewer side effects.
Bottom line: There's already an article about this same case out there, which undermines this book's market. If you want the same story presented in a more compact, more compelling form without needless fluff or protracted writing, just read that instead.
Read
March 13, 2018I wanted to love this book and parts of it I did enjoy but I just couldn’t get into it. I quit at 66% through it. The writing and details were so descriptive and it’s very apparent how much time, energy and hard work went into getting this story. The premise has me intrigued and it’s not a negative thing, but there were just to many details of the journey for me to follow. Some of the details I felt were repetitive and while I understand this was needed to document the story as it the investigative reporting was done, I just got bored with journey.
I appreciate the free ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
I appreciate the free ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 25, 2018
This was a fascinating read simply because it is not only so well researched and written but also because it exposes the absolute unconscionable actions human beings are capable of and willing to commit in the name of greed.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance digital copy!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance digital copy!
August 8, 2018
loved all the twists and turns that the book takes you on. very interesting the way it takes the reader through their process of of their lengthy investigation. it was so well written and hard to put down. This investigation makes me wish I had gone into journalism. Kudos to the two authors and happy I got to read an advance copy!
May 22, 2018
This is a meticulously crafted story by two award winning CNN investigative journalists. Sadly, it is also the true story of one of the longest running scams in history. The two journalists, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken write about this scam which targeted the vulnerable and elderly and in the middle of it all is the elusive psychic Marie Duvall. The scam brought in more than 200 million in the US and Canada alone while investigators from all over the world were unable to stop it.
It is heartbreaking to read the stories of the “victims” and how much they believed in this Marie Duval and all her promises. How many of the elderly had cheap tin “talisman” coins hidden in their homes and worn around their necks - coins that were supposed to bring luck and riches untold. How many victims sent lockets of their hair (as requested by Marie Duval so she could “feel closer to the person”), how many letters written by victims pouring out their hearts to Marie Duval, how many victims placed so much faith and hope and belief in this women who discarded the lockets of hair, the letters, the photos, - all unopened - in dumps discovered throughout the US..
This was a fascinating read simply because it is not only so well researched and written but also because it exposes the absolute unconscionable actions human beings are capable of and willing to commit in the name of greed.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance digital copy!
It is heartbreaking to read the stories of the “victims” and how much they believed in this Marie Duval and all her promises. How many of the elderly had cheap tin “talisman” coins hidden in their homes and worn around their necks - coins that were supposed to bring luck and riches untold. How many victims sent lockets of their hair (as requested by Marie Duval so she could “feel closer to the person”), how many letters written by victims pouring out their hearts to Marie Duval, how many victims placed so much faith and hope and belief in this women who discarded the lockets of hair, the letters, the photos, - all unopened - in dumps discovered throughout the US..
This was a fascinating read simply because it is not only so well researched and written but also because it exposes the absolute unconscionable actions human beings are capable of and willing to commit in the name of greed.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance digital copy!
June 19, 2018
Two investigative journalists from CNN Money researched the French psychic Maria Duval scam that spanned decades in which people, mostly vulnerable adults, were scammed out of over $200 million dollars. This is a very interesting and informative account of their investigation into this very sad case.
August 13, 2018
I first read about Ellis and Hicken's work on CNN.com back in 2016 when it debuted. So I was already intrigued by what they had published at that time. This ensuing book takes the story to an entirely different level, showing how a shadowy underworld of criminals and cronies around the globe take advantage of an all-too susceptible group of victims. It's a bittersweet closure, knowing that for every long con that flames out, there is another waiting in the wings to entrap the unwary. The comparison to "Whac-A-Mole" is distressingly apt.
August 10, 2018
A Deal with the Devil is the story of a global mail scam that bilked more than $200 million from its victims. Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken use their skills as award-winning investigative journalists to keep the narrative lively as they explain an extraordinarily complex financial scam.
Letters signed by French psychic Maria Duval arrived at the homes of mostly elderly people, prophesying better days ahead if they sent her money. "The letters appealed to the most base emotions of fear, loneliness, and hope--making it nearly impossible for victims to resist." International fraud units had tried without success over the years to get to the company behind the letters. Duval was "the psychic that no one ever sees."
Ellis and Hicken became obsessed with the extent of this fraud and reported on it for CNN Money in 2016. They spent countless hours on the phone and Internet tracking down what governments could not, and even traveled to France in an effort to meet Duval. Their reporting turns up a colorful cast of characters that includes a copywriter of scam letters, a Swiss attorney and an Argentinean landowner. As the authors wryly point out, "Whistleblowers have always been a journalist's best friend."
A Deal with the Devil shows the power of investigative journalism to uncover corruption. Ellis and Hicken discover the truth about a complicated scheme, halting the financial victimization of those who could not help themselves.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 8/10/18
Letters signed by French psychic Maria Duval arrived at the homes of mostly elderly people, prophesying better days ahead if they sent her money. "The letters appealed to the most base emotions of fear, loneliness, and hope--making it nearly impossible for victims to resist." International fraud units had tried without success over the years to get to the company behind the letters. Duval was "the psychic that no one ever sees."
Ellis and Hicken became obsessed with the extent of this fraud and reported on it for CNN Money in 2016. They spent countless hours on the phone and Internet tracking down what governments could not, and even traveled to France in an effort to meet Duval. Their reporting turns up a colorful cast of characters that includes a copywriter of scam letters, a Swiss attorney and an Argentinean landowner. As the authors wryly point out, "Whistleblowers have always been a journalist's best friend."
A Deal with the Devil shows the power of investigative journalism to uncover corruption. Ellis and Hicken discover the truth about a complicated scheme, halting the financial victimization of those who could not help themselves.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 8/10/18
March 22, 2018
I learned a lot about the United States Postal system from this book. I was really fascinated by the idea of a mail-order scandal and the psychic(s) at the center of it, but this was kind of a frustrating read - every time it seemed like the authors were making progress on a lead, something happened to stifle them. They eventually kind of unravel the mystery, but the resolution is ultimately unsatisfying - through no fault of the writers. If you go in with the expectation that everything will be wrapped up neatly at the end, you will be disappointed - but if you're fascinated by seemingly endless rabbit holes of conspiracy, then this book is 100% for you.
March 6, 2018
review to come but loved this debut!
August 21, 2018
This was a super interesting and fun read. I was surprised I’d never heard of this scam, given the widespread and serious financial and emotional damage it caused. Going into a nonfiction book like this, you know there’s going to be no neat and tidy ending - if you’re looking for that, stick with fiction. Still, there are enough bizarre and surprising details to keep me hooked. I enjoyed the insight into the authors’ reporting process, and I appreciate that they never paint the main character as either black or white. If you like true crime stories and mysteries, I’d definitely recommend it.
August 11, 2018
I'm so thrilled to finally have my hands on this book! I am an avid reader of true crime and about major cons. After closely following the incredible story on CNN that these co-authors uncovered in this billion-dollar scam, I was hooked to learn more and wasn't disappointed. I found it to be a true page-turner and a must-read.
December 18, 2018
Beware - this book may put you to sleep. It's an okay topic for a documentary, but not a 300+ page book.
November 29, 2023
The story itself was interesting, but I listened to the audio version and it was painful. It just went on and on and on. The voice really started to irritate me as well. This story needs editing!
November 1, 2018
better than 90% of the thrillers out there, a deal with the devil represents two years of deep, hardcore, globe-trotting investigative journalism into a scheme that -- while not 100% in answering all its questions -- reveals more than anyone could ever hope to know about a scam that's huge, but you've likely never heard of.
i started it because i didn't want to get roped into a narrative before bed one night, and ended up reading half of it in one go. whoops.
i started it because i didn't want to get roped into a narrative before bed one night, and ended up reading half of it in one go. whoops.
January 6, 2019
Rather than feeling like a full book, this read like a collection of articles, which isn't my favourite thing.
Want to read
June 29, 2018#GoodreadsGiveaway
September 14, 2018
Really interesting and a bit scary. Whats the matter with people!! My grandma believed with all her heart that it was a "matter of time" before she won the Readers Digest sweepstakes. She could have easily fallen prey to this scam.
May 17, 2019
I really enjoyed the writing and style of this investigative look at a long time mail fraud case by Hicken and Ellis. Investigative journalism is never boring but this is the first time I’ve found it to be not only exciting but personable. I loved hearing about their methods, their travels, their frustrations at dead ends and excitement at new leads so I’m definitely ready to read some of their articles on other issues.
In this investigation the women are searching for the mastermind behind a mail scam where elderly and lonely people receive letters from a psychic who claims she can change their lives, as long as they send her a check. In desire of winning lottery numbers, a new life, or even just company, the victims sign their savings and fixed incomes away check by check. The scam being calculated with personalized letters so that many of the victims don’t even realize they’re not corresponding with a real Psychic named Maria Duval. The investigation involves looking for Maria (if she’s real) and talking to countless others involved in the scam or it’s takedown. From copywriters on the letters to armed mail police, there’s a cast of characters that show up in this real life story that kept me wanting more as I flipped through the pages.
My only issue with this book is that it’s a little overhyped. From the dramatic title to the continuous reassurance that there would be many twist and turns, it made me expect something bigger. I was waiting for a completely evil director, or a huge bust. While the players may be interesting much of the overall scam is fueled by what you’d expect, money and shady business practices. While I enjoyed the book as is, I think I would have liked it even more if I had been expecting a more interesting tale rather than a thrilling one.
In the end I’d recommend this book a lot. If you’re just interested in finding out about what the scam is and who’s behind it, Ellis’ and Hicken’s CNN article may be the best read for you. But if you’re interested in feeling like you’re part of an investigative journey, searching for clues in foreign countries and hidden meanings in peoples words, waiting up for emails and phone calls that may never come, getting sudden breakthroughs from whistleblowers and sudden stalls from threats, I would read this book for the full journey.
In this investigation the women are searching for the mastermind behind a mail scam where elderly and lonely people receive letters from a psychic who claims she can change their lives, as long as they send her a check. In desire of winning lottery numbers, a new life, or even just company, the victims sign their savings and fixed incomes away check by check. The scam being calculated with personalized letters so that many of the victims don’t even realize they’re not corresponding with a real Psychic named Maria Duval. The investigation involves looking for Maria (if she’s real) and talking to countless others involved in the scam or it’s takedown. From copywriters on the letters to armed mail police, there’s a cast of characters that show up in this real life story that kept me wanting more as I flipped through the pages.
My only issue with this book is that it’s a little overhyped. From the dramatic title to the continuous reassurance that there would be many twist and turns, it made me expect something bigger. I was waiting for a completely evil director, or a huge bust. While the players may be interesting much of the overall scam is fueled by what you’d expect, money and shady business practices. While I enjoyed the book as is, I think I would have liked it even more if I had been expecting a more interesting tale rather than a thrilling one.
In the end I’d recommend this book a lot. If you’re just interested in finding out about what the scam is and who’s behind it, Ellis’ and Hicken’s CNN article may be the best read for you. But if you’re interested in feeling like you’re part of an investigative journey, searching for clues in foreign countries and hidden meanings in peoples words, waiting up for emails and phone calls that may never come, getting sudden breakthroughs from whistleblowers and sudden stalls from threats, I would read this book for the full journey.
July 7, 2018
An interesting recounting of the research into a mail scam. Beginning the story by showing the impact on a victim, the CNN reporters who spent considerable effort chasing this elusive organization tell of their efforts, their successes, and more plentiful failures. For me it started off slowly, and it was not until page 100 that I became intrigued and wanted to see what came next.
The book is instructive on the drudgery of tracking down multiple leads and trying to differentiate fact from fiction. As a "detective" story is has plenty of twists and turns, with interesting characters that span the globe. Unfortunately the end result is not the unmasking of a criminal organization and identification of the criminals who perpetrated it. What the reader is left with is the cast of characters who are identified but not proven, indicated but not indicted.
"One of the Biggest Cons in History" may be true, but it is based on estimates, not on actually tracking down of the money extorted. The bulk of the effort was at tracking down the main character in the con, without much recounting of any effort to track the money. Perhaps that is not easy for reporters as it would be for governmental entities, but it appears the one U.S. government office involved (the U.S. Postal Investigative Service) was limited to the use of mails in the crime.
While there is plenty to draw one's interest in the story, there seemed to be too little continuity, no real resolution, and an unsatisfying end.
Rather than solving the crime, this is a tale of determining whether the main character is real or created, and to what extent the information about that person is accurate or contrived.
I expected more. I was disappointed in the lack of resolution. Good to read the detail, but it is not wrapped up neatly in any respect. Perhaps the title promised too much and the book delivered too little. But a quick read.
The book is instructive on the drudgery of tracking down multiple leads and trying to differentiate fact from fiction. As a "detective" story is has plenty of twists and turns, with interesting characters that span the globe. Unfortunately the end result is not the unmasking of a criminal organization and identification of the criminals who perpetrated it. What the reader is left with is the cast of characters who are identified but not proven, indicated but not indicted.
"One of the Biggest Cons in History" may be true, but it is based on estimates, not on actually tracking down of the money extorted. The bulk of the effort was at tracking down the main character in the con, without much recounting of any effort to track the money. Perhaps that is not easy for reporters as it would be for governmental entities, but it appears the one U.S. government office involved (the U.S. Postal Investigative Service) was limited to the use of mails in the crime.
While there is plenty to draw one's interest in the story, there seemed to be too little continuity, no real resolution, and an unsatisfying end.
Rather than solving the crime, this is a tale of determining whether the main character is real or created, and to what extent the information about that person is accurate or contrived.
I expected more. I was disappointed in the lack of resolution. Good to read the detail, but it is not wrapped up neatly in any respect. Perhaps the title promised too much and the book delivered too little. But a quick read.
May 12, 2021
There are mail scams that occur with regularity, but the story of this one is a journey that takes you down the rabbit hole, into Canada, to Nevada, and to France to stand outside the gate of the estate of a psychic.
Maria Duval's name has been appearing on personalized letters that are received, often, by loners, the lonely, and elderly, who are often genuinely happy that someone would write to them. These letters are they type that makes one believe that the writer actually knows them, and tells them things that give them hope; for a happy tomorrow, for a windfall of money. All they have to do is send some money to get a personal reading and a lucky talisman, and by the way, put a lock of your hair in this envelope so that Maria can 'feel' you.
The problem is that these recipients are so lonely and gullible. And they send checks, and receive more letters.
Maria, true, is a psychic, based in France, however she has sold her name and likeness to several Swiss businessmen who perpetuate this scam, and cash the checks. Shell company upon shell company keep anyone from finding out the real persona behind the scam. The checks go to a strip mall mail company post office box in Sparks, Nevada, to be bundled and sent away to another address. A dumpster dive finds the contents of the envelopes, minus checks, tossed in the garbage, along with the heart-felt replies written by the victims.
The authors tell the story of one of those victims, Doreen, and her daughter, who relate how devastating the scam became, draining Doreen's bank account. Often victims are embarrassed to admit their actions, but continue just the same.
This is a wild ride of a book that goes down the rabbit hole that could often be a part of many different scams. A quick and interesting read that will make you wary of items your parents receive in the mail.
Maria Duval's name has been appearing on personalized letters that are received, often, by loners, the lonely, and elderly, who are often genuinely happy that someone would write to them. These letters are they type that makes one believe that the writer actually knows them, and tells them things that give them hope; for a happy tomorrow, for a windfall of money. All they have to do is send some money to get a personal reading and a lucky talisman, and by the way, put a lock of your hair in this envelope so that Maria can 'feel' you.
The problem is that these recipients are so lonely and gullible. And they send checks, and receive more letters.
Maria, true, is a psychic, based in France, however she has sold her name and likeness to several Swiss businessmen who perpetuate this scam, and cash the checks. Shell company upon shell company keep anyone from finding out the real persona behind the scam. The checks go to a strip mall mail company post office box in Sparks, Nevada, to be bundled and sent away to another address. A dumpster dive finds the contents of the envelopes, minus checks, tossed in the garbage, along with the heart-felt replies written by the victims.
The authors tell the story of one of those victims, Doreen, and her daughter, who relate how devastating the scam became, draining Doreen's bank account. Often victims are embarrassed to admit their actions, but continue just the same.
This is a wild ride of a book that goes down the rabbit hole that could often be a part of many different scams. A quick and interesting read that will make you wary of items your parents receive in the mail.
August 14, 2019
An intriguing but not totally engaging story about a multi-national scam targeting lonely older people desperate for human contact or financial security or healing from health condition. What appeared to be a scam run by a French psychic was actually carried out by a group of shady operators after they conned the psychic to sign over rights her name.
The elderly people targeted often sent money every month to addresses in several countries to gain whatever the psychic offered them – financial security or health or sometimes just human contact – sometimes losing their entire life savings in the process.
Before the scam was brought to a halt by federal authorities in several countries, it had robbed its targets of billions of dollars. The sad coda to this is that, while the scam was ended, those responsible were never brought to justice, their victims or their heirs never recouping their stolen money.
Ellis and Hicken chased this scam for two years before facing the psychic – who by then was plagued by Alzheimer’s like many of the elderly the scam targeted.
A word of advice when you read this book: Give it your full attention. Ellis and Hicken don’t tell this story linearly, tend to drift back and forth in time, and it’s easy to lose track of what happened when.
If you want some insight into how scams are pulled off, this is the book for you. If you want nail-biting, slam-bang action, look elsewhere.
The elderly people targeted often sent money every month to addresses in several countries to gain whatever the psychic offered them – financial security or health or sometimes just human contact – sometimes losing their entire life savings in the process.
Before the scam was brought to a halt by federal authorities in several countries, it had robbed its targets of billions of dollars. The sad coda to this is that, while the scam was ended, those responsible were never brought to justice, their victims or their heirs never recouping their stolen money.
Ellis and Hicken chased this scam for two years before facing the psychic – who by then was plagued by Alzheimer’s like many of the elderly the scam targeted.
A word of advice when you read this book: Give it your full attention. Ellis and Hicken don’t tell this story linearly, tend to drift back and forth in time, and it’s easy to lose track of what happened when.
If you want some insight into how scams are pulled off, this is the book for you. If you want nail-biting, slam-bang action, look elsewhere.
October 23, 2019
Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of non-fiction books most of the time. I read this book as part of the 2019 Read Harder Challenge. It's subject matter intrigued me because my wife's grandmother was at one time emailing with a psychic scammer. So I picked up "A Deal with the Devil."
I have mixed feelings about this book. I started reading it in print, but just couldn't get into it, so I finished it via audiobook. The audiobook recording made it much easier to follow and much more entertaining in my opinion. The authors do present a compelling mystery. Personally I'd have rather read a dramatized version of the story, but the journey the reporters take to find the truth behind the scam did have some interesting twists and turns. Fans of non-fiction and/or true crime will almost definitely find something to like about this book.
Now that being said, I found the last few chapters to be unnecessary. The book could have concluded with the last paragraph of the final chapter and then the Afterword. Instead, the authors recap almost every detail of the investigation they've just described throughout the book (twice!) and then spend way too much time trying to create a emphatic connection between the psychic and one of the victims of the scam. It just felt really out of place and unneeded. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, then had to force myself to finish it, though I'm glad I was able to make it to the end.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I started reading it in print, but just couldn't get into it, so I finished it via audiobook. The audiobook recording made it much easier to follow and much more entertaining in my opinion. The authors do present a compelling mystery. Personally I'd have rather read a dramatized version of the story, but the journey the reporters take to find the truth behind the scam did have some interesting twists and turns. Fans of non-fiction and/or true crime will almost definitely find something to like about this book.
Now that being said, I found the last few chapters to be unnecessary. The book could have concluded with the last paragraph of the final chapter and then the Afterword. Instead, the authors recap almost every detail of the investigation they've just described throughout the book (twice!) and then spend way too much time trying to create a emphatic connection between the psychic and one of the victims of the scam. It just felt really out of place and unneeded. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, then had to force myself to finish it, though I'm glad I was able to make it to the end.
January 12, 2019
When I first started reading this book, I didn't know what to expect. This isn't the sort of thing I normally go out of my way to read. I'm glad I did though. At first glance it may seem like a dry, boring reading choice, but surprisingly, it wasn't. It follows the investigations of two intrepid CNN reporters as the try to find the truth behind the longest running mail fraud scam in US history.
These scam letters are sent out to mostly elderly or other easily duped people with promises of luck and lotto wins from the famed psychic, Maria Duval, but only if they send in their own money first. The two reporters find that this story is much more twisted than they originally thought as they track the scheme from the elderly victims to vacant, hard to find addresses tucked away in Nevada strip malls, to shady Swiss business men involved in alien worshipping cults, and to trying to figure out whether Maria Duval is even a real psychic or if she's even a real person at all. They track the worldwide scheme to Russia, London, Canada, Thailand, and France.
The story is surprisingly twisty, and much more interesting than I had initially thought it would be. I'll definitely be looking into their 2016 CNN special on the subject.
These scam letters are sent out to mostly elderly or other easily duped people with promises of luck and lotto wins from the famed psychic, Maria Duval, but only if they send in their own money first. The two reporters find that this story is much more twisted than they originally thought as they track the scheme from the elderly victims to vacant, hard to find addresses tucked away in Nevada strip malls, to shady Swiss business men involved in alien worshipping cults, and to trying to figure out whether Maria Duval is even a real psychic or if she's even a real person at all. They track the worldwide scheme to Russia, London, Canada, Thailand, and France.
The story is surprisingly twisty, and much more interesting than I had initially thought it would be. I'll definitely be looking into their 2016 CNN special on the subject.
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