A woman has been charged with pretending to be a witch and allegedly scamming a man out of $600,000

• Police in the York region of Ontario have charged a woman with pretending to practice witchcraft, fraud, and possession of property obtained by crime.

• Authorities allege that Samantha Stevenson, 27, bilked one victim lout of more than $US600,000 in an "evil spirit blessing scam."

• Police believe that Stevenson posed as a psychic under the name "Evanna Lopez."

• She allegedly told her victim, a 67-year-old man, that in order to ward off "evil spirits in his home" he would have to undergo a series of steps, including selling his house, transferring money to her bank account, allowing her to burn $US6,000, and selling his car.

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A woman from Ontario has been charged with posing as a witch and fraudulently practicing witchcraft, police said in a press release.

On Thursday, the York Region police said they had charged Samantha Stevenson, 27, with pretending to practice witchcraft, fraud, and possession of property obtained by crime.

Police say that as a part of her scheme, Stevenson posed as a psychic under the name "Evanna Lopez." Over time, one of her victims, a 67-year-old man, lost more than $US600,000 in an "evil spirit blessing scam," per the press release.

Stevenson apparently told the man that in order to ward off "evil spirits in his home," he had to follow a series of steps. The victim alleges that Stevenson instructed him to sell his house, transfer money to her bank account, give her $US6,000 to burn, and sell his car.

"The offence of Pretending to Practice Witchcraft, under the Criminal Code of Canada, specifically deals with individuals who fraudulently portray themselves as having fortune-telling abilities or pretend to use witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration in order to obtain money or valuables from a victim," police said in the press release.

According to the press release, police were attempting to identify Stevenson for a year. In November 2017, police began to investigate the case as an instance of elder abuse.

Stevenson was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

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