Trading Standards are warning against bogus ‘spiritual healers’ after an Oxford man was defrauded out of £70,000.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards department said there were few controls on people selling the services of their clairvoyant, spiritual and healing powers.

Officers said some people were easily taken in by charlatans claiming to have special powers, and victims often have such a strong belief they refuse to accept they have been exploited.

In September 2009, leaflets were delivered in the Headington area of Oxford by a man called Mohammed Hayir, who claimed to be able to help people affected by black magic and sort out family or personal problems.

One man called the number and, over the next two months, was defrauded out of £70,000.

Officers are appealing for information about his whereabouts and his mugshot has been published by Crime- stoppers, with the support of Thames Valley Police, on its Most Wanted website.

Trading Standards group manager Ian Marriott said: “We would advise people to be very wary when dealing with people making clairvoyant, spiritual and healing claims.

“There are very few controls on who can claim to deliver these services which makes it difficult to establish who is genuine.

“Because this is an area based on belief rather than facts it is easy for people to be exploited.

“Trading standards’ advice is always to be wary of anyone trying to sell you things. Most good traders do not have to hard-sell their products or services in this way.

“While research shows fake clairvoyant and health cure scams are in the top five most common scams in the UK, Trading Standards receives very few complaints about such claims as the victims rarely realise or refuse to accept they are being exploited.”

Anyone with information about Mohammed Hayir should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Have you been contacted by this man claiming to be a spiritual healer? Call our newsdesk on 01865 425500