By Amanda Arthur
The Daily Times-Call
BOULDER ? A Montana man is singing the blues after he says a psychic he paid to fix his love life instead bilked him out of more than $170,000.
Timothy John Strating, who lives in Montana, filed a civil lawsuit in Boulder County District Court last week, hoping to get his money back from the psychic, Natalie Roberts, who used to live in Longmont.
Roberts, who Strating claimed told him he had ?bad karma,? now lives in California, and Aurora attorneys for Strating said Monday that they hadn?t yet served her with a copy of the lawsuit. A spokesman for Strating?s attorneys at Muihasen and Muihasen said he could not comment further on Strating?s case.
Roberts could not be reached for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Strating met Roberts in 2003, when he initially gave her $400 when she told him the ?bad karma? was the reason he?d never had a successful relationship with a woman. Just weeks later, he gave her $11,000.
Strating?s lawsuit claims Roberts promised him the money wouldn?t be spent, then in August 2003 told him she needed an additional $22,000 to ?help raise his energy level.?
Later that month, Strating?s lawsuit claims, Roberts persuaded him to buy some $1,000 gift cards from area department stores, which she also promised would not be spent, then told him to keep the receipts on his person at all times to ?improve his energy.?
Then, Strating claims, Roberts said his ?time was out of balance? and the only cure was for him to purchase an expensive watch, which she would hold in trust for him.
Roberts told Strating he was not allowed to see the watch because it would keep him from ?balancing his time,? according to the lawsuit.
That November, Strating?s lawsuit claims, Roberts insisted he give her $78,000 more, which also would not be spent.
In January 2004, Strating claims, Roberts claimed her daughter had become ?contaminated? by his bad karma and said she needed $30,000. According to the lawsuit, Roberts had previously persuaded Strating to buy clothing and other items for her daughter, promising to pay him back.
In all, Strating says he gave Roberts more than $170,000, which she never returned, according to the lawsuit.
Roberts? Web site, www.psychicnatalie.com, says her work is ?proven 100 percent guaranteed to help you with all your love problems.? She further claims to be ?licensed,? though officials say they?re not aware of any such licensing in Colorado.
Cindy Taylor, consumer affairs director for the Boulder County District Attorney?s Office said Tuesday that she has never heard of someone finding success by giving money to a psychic.
She said she hopes consumers will thoroughly check out anyone they do business with.
?The justice system might want to have a role if specific, false promises are being made as an inducement to separate people from their money,? she said.
Longmont Police Cmdr. Craig Earhart said Monday that police haven?t had any reports of Roberts defrauding people in Longmont.
But Strating?s case sounds to Earhart like ?theft by deception, plain and simple.?
Taylor and Earhart said such cases can be hard to prosecute because people enter into such situations voluntarily.
But they can be prosecuted.
Longmont psychic Sonia Adams was sentenced to 10 days in jail and six years of probation last year after police said she scammed eight people out of $112,000.
Source: http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=8359
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I can not believe that people still fall prey to glorified gypsy's. Psychics can do alot; but asking one to fix your love life, c'mon now. I guess common sense is a trait that many take for granted. 
