According to a new lawsuit, a Manhattan, New York psychic defrauded a once-wealthy man out of more than $1 million by falsely promising to find him a soul mate and purge him of “dark spirits” through increasingly costly rituals.

According to William Young of Brooklyn, he met the scamming fortune teller Shaina Samiel in May 2021 while working at XoXo Bar, a gay bar on W. 46th Street that has since closed.

The lawsuit says, the two became close, and Young, who suffers from bipolar disorder and depression, became one of Samiel’s regular customers.

Young’s lawyer said in his complaint, “Samiel told Young that his family was cursed by dark spirits and blamed them for his mental health difficulties. She claimed that the dark spirits were very strong and that so long as they were there, Young will not be able to find love or happiness or have a good relationship with his family.”

According to the lawsuit, Samiel, who called herself Young’s “spiritual mother,” claimed to know the correct rituals to bring satisfaction to his life.

The spells, on the other hand, had to be purchased at a high cost.

According to the lawsuit, Samiel, a self-described “spiritual guide,” told her consumer that the power of the “arcane and occult arts” was contingent on how much he was ready to spend.

The lawyer also said that Samiel “claimed that the dark spirits were very strong and that so long as they were there, Young will not be able to find love or happiness or have a good relationship with his family.”

“She told him that she could perform complex rituals that would help with the situation. She said these rituals would help Young find a future soul mate and also put him in a better situation financially.”

Young then made his first payment to Samiel in May 2021, which was $100,000. The suit claims that later that month, he paid samiel six times in one week, with payments between $1,000 to $20,000.

Samiel told Young in June 2021 that she needed a car to “gather materials for rituals, and consult and contact ‘superiors’ who were other psychics in her organization for consultation and advice about his situation.”

According to the lawsuit, Young immediately put down a $5,500 deposit and began making monthly lease payments on a vehicle for Samiel.

Carrio Motor Cars, a third party named in the lawsuit, said it had never heard of Samiel or Young. However, Young said he had sent Carrio $92,000 as requested by samiel.

Jacob Carrio, the car company owner said, “It sounds like a joke, to be honest, I’m actually chuckling hearing about this.”

Young eventually ran out of money and had to rely on his family’s joint bank account to cover the cost of the spells.

Despite all of his efforts, the rituals had no positive impact on his life. According to the lawsuit, they instead caused him more anxiety as a result of his dwindling wealth.

According to the lawsuit, the scam ended when Young’s bank blocked a $496,000 payment to Samiel made through a third-party company.

Young’s account was frozen, prompting him to realize he’d been duped. He claims he paid a total of $1,102,514 to Samiel and third parties.

According to the suit, “Samiel’s taking of Young’s money was done by directly soliciting said money while holding herself out as being able to use occult powers to influence or affect evil spirits or curses when in reality she never intended to nor could she possibly fulfill the promises she made to Young on that front.”