A police chief in Pennsylvania paid a visit to a local fortuneteller to forewarn her that predicting the future could land her in trouble with the law.

Beck Lawrence, owner of the newly opened “Serpent’s Key Shoppe and Sanctuary” in Hanover, was told that any complaints against her shop would lead to a police investigation, the shop owner said in a TikTok video to her nearly 200,000 followers.

Fortune-telling and related arts of “witchcraft” are indeed banned in Pennsylvania, and offenders could face punishments of up to a year behind bars and a $2,500 fine. According to Pennsylvania’s McClenahen Law Firm, the law reads more as if it was put in place to stop potential scammers than it is to prevent shops like Lawrence’s.

“The law protects gullible people from being ripped off,” criminal defense attorney Matt McClenahen writes on his website. “There are no real psychics. Anyone claiming to be a psychic is either delusional or an outright fraud.”

Police were alerted to Lawrence’s operation after she was interviewed by a local newsletter ahead of Halloween.

“Basically, I got an email yesterday from the borough council head and, um, the literal police chief of my town read an article about me and my shop and is now stopping by the next time you’re open to let me know that fortune-telling is illegal, “ Lawrence said in her video, posted on October 2. 

Lawrence added in the same video that she would be wearing an all-black outfit that reminded her of ravens along with “protective jewelry” in anticipation of the cops’ visit. In a follow-up video posted three days later, Lawrence said that the police chief, along with one of his officers, showed up at her shop.

Hanover Borough Police Department Chief Chad Martin explained his reasoning in a Facebook post on the same day he visited Lawrence’s shop. Martin explains that a statute in Pennsylvania prohibits anyone from profiting from predicting the future using tarot cards, “among other things.”

“There was never an investigation, nor was there any threat of arrest in this matter,” Martin added. “With that being said, if a complaint was made against someone for engaging in acts qualifying as ‘fortune telling’ in the Borough of Hanover; this department would be obligated to conduct an investigation.”

Many replies to Chief Martin’s post criticized the police for “harassing” Lawrence’s shop, with some saying “this is craziness.” Others poked fun at police over the matter and some said they believed the chief’s actions were a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Despite being shaken up by the ordeal, Lawrence has been receiving support from her online community, with many replies saying they will come visit her shop in an act of solidarity. In another follow-up video, Lawrence said that she had 30 people stop by in just the first two hours of operation on the day following the cops’ visit.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Lawrence said in the caption of her video.