I am not sure what time period you are looking for but the time period that comes to mind is the Salem Witch Trial Era.
During this time, you could have looked at someone wrong and they could have deemed you a witch. A good reference for this question is The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It may be boring to read for some audiences but this is a great example. You can find summaries online if you do not have time to scan the book for what you are looking for.