A palm reader who convinced a woman her daughter was possessed is accused of shaking her down for more than $70,000, saying she needed the cash to exorcise the demon, according to Somerset Police — who are now asking any other victims to come forward.

But many people who fall victim to these “extremely common” psychic scams are too embarrassed to report the swindlers to police, a private investigator who specializes in psychic fraud told the Herald on Thursday.

“It’s important for people to realize that this happens to a lot of educated people. No one is immune to falling for a con artist,” said Bob Nygaard, a retired New York City cop who helped crack an $800,000 psychic swindling case.

“You need to understand how good these con artists are at duping vulnerable people,” he added. “People should not feel ashamed about coming forward.”

Tracy Milanovich, 37, of Somerset, was arrested last week and charged with stealing about $71,000 from a client.

Police started investigating Milanovich on Dec. 17 after a woman reported that the owner of Tracy’s Psychic Palm Reader tricked her into handing over large amounts of money.

Milanovich had convinced the client that her daughter was possessed by a demon, and she needed cash to banish the spirit from her daughter, police said. Milanovich stole about $71,000 from the client, who also bought household items for Milanovich, including towels and bedding, police said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant, and arrested Milanovich on Dec. 27. She was charged with six counts of obtaining property over $250 by trick, larceny over $1,200, and intimidation of a witness.

She was arraigned on Monday in Fall River District Court. A spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, noting the office is “currently prosecuting” the case. Milanovich could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.

The “About” section for Tracy’s Psychic Palm Reader on Facebook reads, “Psychic readings * palm readings * tarot card readings * full life readings * spiritual healer * advise on all matter of life.”

Milanovich, who had an office in Fall River for 10 years, opened the Somerset location in 2018, according to The Standard-Times of New Bedford. She told the newspaper that palm readings have been passed down in her family for five to six generations.

In 2018, Nygaard was contacted by people who said they were scammed out of $800,000 by a fortune teller in New York City.

Of the Somerset case, Nygaard said, “I give the police and prosecutors a lot of credit for taking this case seriously. A lot of the time, law enforcement turns their backs to victims in these situations.”

One major red flag that psychic customers should watch out for is the psychic saying, “You can’t talk about this with anybody … this is only between you and me,” Nygaard said.

Another warning is if the psychic says, “I’m the only one who can help you solve this problem,” he added.

A scamming psychic may also take credit for good things happening in a client’s life, and then blame the “demon or curse” for something bad happening, Nygaard said.

Somerset Police are asking potential victims to contact Officer Donald Cormier at 508-679-2138.