A "fraudster" masqueraded as a 'faith healer' to dupe vulnerable victims out of £650,000 in a series of scams, a court heard.
Mohammed Ashrafi (50) allegedly pretended to be a devotee of the Indian spiritual master Sai Baba, with special powers to perform miracles, Leicester Crown Court was told.
He convinced 18 'believers' into thinking they were going to win the National Lottery – and persuaded them to part with life savings, it is claimed.
James House, prosecuting, told the jury: "He's a clever and a sophisticated con artist and a fraudster.
"He preyed on human vulnerabilities to obtain tens, and even hundreds, of thousands of pounds.
"When they'd given him all they had some borrowed from friends, even taking out loans.
"It exceeds £650,000.
"The trick or fraud was quite simple. He assumed a persona, calling himself Kamal-Ji, claiming he could pray through Sai Baba and they would win the national or Euro lotteries.
"He demonstrated his abilities as a magician and would rub his hands together and produce prayer beads as if from thin air.
"This trick - which is just what it was - was repeated to many victims.
"It drew them in, and they relied on it that he was connected to Sai Baba, like it was a miracle."
Ashrafi is formerly of Babingley Avenue, off Parker Drive, Leicester. He denies 14 counts of fraud, involving 18 alleged victims, by falsely claiming that in return for payments for materials required for prayer, such deer musk, they would win the lottery, between January and April 2014.
He also denies blackmailing a couple out of £50,000, last February.
Mr House alleged the blackmail involved Ashrafi drugging a woman, who became unconscious, before taking a "compromising" video recording and threatening to put it on the internet.
He said: "The defendant paid for tens of thousands of leaflets to be delivered, primarily within the Leicester Asian community."
Mr House said Ashrafi also placed adverts on radio stations and in newspapers.
The adverts for his alleged free-of-charge faith healing and astrology service highlighted personal problems he could assist with, such as marital difficulties, ill-health, business problems, childlessness and dealing with disobedient children.
Another alleged trick involved the defendant telling a devotee to make dough balls from rice flour, which Ashrafi then cooked on a portable stove.
When one of the balls was cut in half there was a piece of silver foil with a Euro ticket inside.
Ashrafi allegedly put his hand to his ear – as if communicating with Sai Baba - to recite the exact numbers on the lottery ticket.
Mr House claimed: "A couple who witnessed this were stunned.
"They were convinced he was genuine and believed his claim that they were going to win the lottery.
"The defendant made it plain it had to be kept a secret.
" 'Don't tell anyone,' was a common theme.
"He said if they did tell anyone the prayers up to that point would be wasted.".
When he disappeared from Leicester in March 2014, some alleged victims realised they had been conned, claimed Mr House.
When the police caught up with him in London five weeks later, he was allegedly establishing a similar scam in the new area using the bogus name Krishna-Ji.
In interview, he claimed he had done nothing wrong.
Mr House said: "The defendant says the complainants are lying and he did not tell anyone they would win the lottery, but said he would 'pray' for them to win.
"He says there were no tricks."
The trial continues.
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