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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    3

    Default Fraudulent Business and Contract

    My question involves business law in the state of: NJ

    I was involved in a psychic scam when I was young and in a bad place. The lady tricked me into taking out a credit card (couple thousand $$) for prayer, meditation, crystals and candles. Long story short: I demanded my money back and I got it, but they made me sign this confidential release form stating that (in layman's terms) just b/c they're giving my money back doesn't mean that they're fake and that it's confidential and if I tell 3rd parties about the refund and it results in damages to their business, that it can go to court.

    I'm asking someone's expert opinion if you know whether this contract is valid? Aren't fraudulent contracts null and void?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    2,344

    Default Re: Fraudulent Business and Contract

    The could have forced you to sue them to get your money back. Instead, they agreed to give it back if you agreed to keep the settlement secret and you wouldn't have the expense and delay that would come if you had to sue them. You agreed to this, right? And now you want to go back on what you agreed to? Am I understanding correctly?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Fraudulent Business and Contract

    No. All I am asking is if the contract is valid, given that they are gypsy psychic con artists. That is all.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Behind a Desk
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    98,846

    Default Re: Fraudulent Business and Contract

    There's nothing inherently improper about entering into a confidential settlement or imposing a consequence upon a party who breaks the agreed confidentiality. There could be an issue if, for example, the underlying conduct were criminal and the settlement forbade the reporting of a crime to the police.

    Without the full background facts and an opportunity to review the document, as well as some sense of how many years have passed since you were young and entered into the settlement agreement, we're not in a position to guess its enforceability.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Fraudulent Business and Contract

    OK this is embarrassing but since it's anonymous...

    This psychic scammed me 8 yrs ago and tricked me into taking out a credit card ($4,600) to help me rid of "negativity" thru meditation, prayer, crystals, candles, etc. I was really depressed and also going thru family drama that stupid me, I actually believed she was real. I have to say in hindsight that her "predictions" were just feeding off my body language/facial expressions/my own answers. Some time passed and after that first payment she charged me $1,000. Then she was about to charge another $6,200 to continue to work w/ her and that's when I'd had enough. I demanded my money back and I got every single penny of it back. The refund and signing of contract happened 6 days ago.

    It's a husband and wife team and they were operating under a DBA. They said they had their attorney draft up a letter, basically stating that the refund doesn't mean they're fake, that it's confidential and if I tell 3rd parties about the refund and it results in damages to their business, that it can go to court. It was just us 3, no attorneys present. They know my real name but I don't know theirs.

    Believe it or not, this happens to a lot of people. I've googled and youtubed news clips and it's the same story (part of gypsy culture) and people lose hundreds of thousands of dollars and they don't get that back.

    I'm not planning on doing anything (though keep in mind they are still doing the same to others). But the fact that I signed something like that has a stigma for me though.

    Just want to know how valid that contract is. That's all. Can someone please let me know?

    Thanks all for your feedback.

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