Woman swindled elderly mother out of art worth $140M using ‘psychics’ who claimed it was cursed, police say
An elderly Brazilian woman’s own daughter was part of a bizarre scheme to swindle her out of more than $100 million worth of art by using a fake psychic who claimed the paintings were cursed, police said.
An elderly Brazilian woman’s daughter was part of a bizarre scheme to swindle her mother out of more than $100 million worth of art by using a ring of supposed psychics who claimed the paintings were cursed, police said.
Sabine Coll Boghici, 48, plotted to defraud Genevieve Boghici, 82, out of art, jewelry and money worth around 724 million reais, or $142.42 million, police in Rio de Janeiro said in a statement.
At least 16 paintings were stolen from the senior, who was the widow of late art collector Jean Boghici, police said, adding that works by celebrated Brazilian artists like Cicero Dias, Rubens Gerchman and Alberto Guignard were among those taken.
Three of the works by modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral, were estimated by police to be worth around 700 million reais, or $137.69 million, alone.
At least seven people were suspected of involvement in the years-long plot, police said after Coll Boghici was arrested Wednesday. Several others were also arrested and two of them are on the run, police said.
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