Pa. ‘fortune tellers' steal more than $600K from 2 women, officials say

Two Pennsylvania “fortune tellers” are accused of stealing more than $600,000 from two victims by claiming they would remove curses from them in exchange for money.

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, officials announced the arrests of Gina Marie Marks, 52, of Huntingdon Valley, and Steve Nicklas, 40, of Jenkintown.

The investigation began on Dec. 24, 2024. A woman told investigators they had contacted “Jenkintown Psychic Visions” on 475 Old York Road in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, for a psychic phone reading. Detectives determined Marks and Nicklas convinced the woman she was the target of a powerful curse that was stopping her from finding love and happiness.

Marks and Nicklas allegedly convinced the woman the curse would destroy her marriage, business and family if it wasn’t removed. Between Sept. 23, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, Marks and Nicklas demanded a large amount of money from the woman as well as luxury items to “cleanse” the curse, including jewelry, cash, clothing, concert tickets and gift cards, investigators said.

Marks and Nicklas also allegedly told the woman that her personal belongings were needed to complete the “ritual” and that they would be returned later. Police said Marks and Nicklas never returned the money or items however and that they stole a total of $595,959 from the first victim.

Investigators also said a second victim contacted “Jenkintown Psychic Visions” on June 10, 2023. Marks allegedly told the woman to give her photos and personal details about her life during their sessions together from June 2023 to February 2024. Marks began requesting increasingly personal images and made more unorthodox requests to satisfy “rituals” that would help her, investigators said.

Marks also demanded more money and a Chanel purse, threatening the woman that her reputation would be damaged and she would suffer other personal repercussions if she didn’t follow her instructions, according to officials. In all, Marks stole at least $18,000 from the second victim, investigators said.

Detectives later determined that Marks and Nicklas transferred the money from the victims to their own accounts.

“These defendants, through their con scheme, preyed on people who were looking for help, guidance and hope, exploiting them for financial gain,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. “They are now going to be held accountable for their actions.”

Both Nicklas and Marks were arrested in New Jersey in late September and extradited to Pennsylvania on Oct. 7, 2025. They are both charged with corrupt organizations, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and fortune telling.

They were both arraigned on Oct. 7. Marks’ bail was set at 10% of $50,000 while Nicklas’ bail was set at 10% of $25,000. Both suspects were released after posting bail.

Nicklas’ attorney, Lauren A. Wimmer, provided a statement in response to the allegations against her client.

“Mr. Nicklas denies any involvement in this alleged scheme and maintains his complete innocence,” Wimmer wrote. “We intend to challenge the accusations vigorously in court, where the facts—not assumptions or headlines—will speak for themselves. I urge the public and the media to withhold judgment and respect the presumption of innocence that every person is entitled to under the law.”

Online court records don’t list an attorney who could speak on Marks’ behalf.

Despite laws forbidding fortune telling, including in Pennsylvania, experts say people still get away with it since the crimes are often not taken seriously and the victims are too embarrassed to report it.

John Livingood, a former police chief who is not affiliated with the case against Marks and Nicklas but has investigated dozens of other fortune teller cases, told NBC10 that most of the suspects only got a “slap on the wrist.”

“And there’s very seldom jailtime in something like this unless there’s a lot of money involved and they’re out there doing it again, moving to some other location,” he said. “They will keep baiting you and drawing you in.”

Investigators are encouraging anyone who may have been victimized by Marks or Nicklas or have information on the case to come forward.