Sylvia Browne says "They prey on them" -- Oh the irony

[Tricky]

I guess you can't really call this good news because there are apparently some scam artists here (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4686277.html)trying to pass themselves off as Dr. Phil and of course, The Claw.

Three Houston-area women were arrested this week on charges they bilked people out of hundreds of dollars each by falsely promising them counseling with Dr. Phil McGraw, his wife or TV psychic Sylvia Browne.

The women are accused of establishing toll-free phone numbers for the Dr. Phil show and Browne last fall. They are accused of asking callers to send $375, $750 or more by Western Union to Houston to pay for phone counseling from these famous folks or to be on McGraw's show.

Obviously you can't be glad that some people are trying to scam Sylvia because it just makes her look like an innocent victim, but you gotta shake your head when she says something like this;
"They tell people they'll remove curses ... or stuff like, 'I'll bring your husband back.' It's awful. They prey on them," Browne said.
They prey on them? WTF do you think you're doing, Sylvia?

[Darat]

I wonder shouldn't this be seen as a service to the community not a fraud? I mean someone paying them $375 and not getting a reading with SB is, based on value received, a saving of $375 on SB's rates!

;)

[Big Al]

They should be able to claim charity status IMHO.

[RSLancastr]

I wonder shouldn't this be seen as a service to the community not a fraud? I mean someone paying them $375 and not getting a reading with SB is, based on value received, a saving of $375 on SB's rates!And with the same accuracy rating!

[DJM]

How do you know? Maybe they are better? ;)

[RSLancastr]

Point taken!

[Tricky]

How do you know? Maybe they are better? ;)They'd have a hard time being worse. Sylvia is not much different from random (except when she gets her info two-weeks-old news).

[Flo]

They'd have a hard time being worse. Sylvia is not much different from random (except when she gets her info two-weeks-old news).

Would you please stop dissing this poor Random ! :mad:


(and isn't it fun when crooks start bickering between themselves ? :D )

[Tricky]

Would you please stop dissing this poor Random ! :mad:
My bad. I like some of the books that come out of his house.

(and isn't it fun when crooks start bickering between themselves ? :D )
[Edward G. Robinson voice] You dirty two-timing rat![/Edward G. Robinson voice]

[Kilgore Trout]

The toll-free directory on Tuesday showed that Dr. Phil listed no 800 number and the number listed for Sylvia Browne, Psychic, was not working.

Maybe this is why Sly wanted to call you, RSL, rather than the other way around?

*insert joke about not needing a phone because she's psychic here*

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

It's a method of spin, I think. Woo woos come out against regular con artists and even screwier woo woos to lend themselves credibility and distance themselves from them.

Like the Soviet Union used to go after Nazis and vice versa.

[clerihew80]

There's a section in Sylvia's book "Insight" where she criticizes the frauds and charlatans that "make a mockery of this profession I cherish."

She dismisses cold readers as "all despicable, all immoral, all cashing in on people's faith, vulnerability and basic human need for reassurance." (Why am I picturing a black pot and a kettle?)

She encourages potential customers to check if a psychic is a member of the Better Business Bureau "and, if so, whether or not there have been complaints about them?" Well, according to the February 2, 2007 edition of Swift, the Sylvia Browne Corporation "...has an unsatisfactory record with this Bureau due to unanswered complaints. The company has resolved some complaints presented by the Bureau, however, the company did not respond to other complaints… the Bureau processed a total of nine complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period…"

Finally, she says that "professional debunkers would probably be surprised at how many frauds I've personally busted and reported..." She promises to continue "posting fraud alerts on both of my websites, and I'll keep right on working with law enforcement to try to close down every scam, fraud, thief and con artist you bring to my attention." I've never seen any fraud alerts on her websites. Has anybody else?

Pretty amusing stuff...

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

That's hilarious- but that's how woo woos think. "John Edward is a fraud but Sylvia Browne's the real deal!", "Oh yeah, sure, James Van Praagh is a total phony but how about Rosemary Althea?!", "Yeah, faith healers are crap but how about that guy in Brazil?"

If you and I didn't understand how they do what they do, if we never heard of cold reading before, we'd think the same way.

We'd feel that something just wasn't right about John Edwards and we'd know that however he is doing whatever he'd doing, he's a fraud but we'd be convinced by someone who did it better, like James Van Praagh.

We'd think yes there are people who are somehow scamming the vulnerable but we wouldn't know enough to recognize their same tricks but better done in someone else. We'd think, ok, there are fake psychics and real psychics like there are people who say they are Nigerians and real ones :).

Of course, once you know what cold reading is, you recognize it in everyone of them.

[NotARepublican]

Yes, and this is coming from the same woman who claimed her husband (at the time), Dal Brown, committed securities fraud all by himself--even though Sylvia's signatures were ALL OVER the paperwork drawn up for the gold mining scheme, which she freely admits.

Guess what her response to that is: nobody checks what their spouse lays in front of them to sign. They just sign!

I'd say the truth of that statement is about as likely as she is psychic.

The judge, thankfully, still convicted her.

[RSLancastr]

There's a section in Sylvia's book "Insight" where she criticizes the frauds and charlatans that "make a mockery of this profession I cherish."I just got a copy of this book, donated to the site. I think there will be several articles coming out of it...

I've never seen any fraud alerts on her websites. Has anybody else?The only one I recall seeing (I think you can find it on Wayback Machine copies of her home page) was, IIRC, about some people running a 900-number psychic hotline, claiming to be her.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I just got a copy of this book, donated to the site. I think there will be several articles coming out of it...

The only one I recall seeing (I think you can find it on Wayback Machine copies of her home page) was, IIRC, about some people running a 900-number psychic hotline, claiming to be her.

Yeah and you know why was did that- she was protecting her own @ss.

[clerihew80]

I just got a copy of this book, donated to the site. I think there will be several articles coming out of it...


Check out the story on page 256 about Sylvia saving Ronald Reagan's life. I'm suspicious of this claim. I can find no evidence that Reagan was planning to attend the October 6, 1981 parade at which Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated. In fact, it seems unlikely that he would have. First, it was just an annual parade. There was really no reason for the U.S. President to be there. Second, accusations of corruption and human rights abuses in the months leading up to October had made Sadat highly unpopular in the Western world. Reagan probably wanted to distance himself.

I could be wrong though. Any historians of the Reagan administration out there?

[articulett]

I guess you can't really call this good news because there are apparently some scam artists here (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4686277.html)trying to pass themselves off as Dr. Phil and of course, The Claw.


Obviously you can't be glad that some people are trying to scam Sylvia because it just makes her look like an innocent victim, but you gotta shake your head when she says something like this;
They prey on them? WTF do you think you're doing, Sylvia?

Praying on them?

[Minarvia]

That's hilarious- but that's how woo woos think. "John Edward is a fraud but Sylvia Browne's the real deal!", "Oh yeah, sure, James Van Praagh is a total phony but how about Rosemary Althea?!", "Yeah, faith healers are crap but how about that guy in Brazil?"

If you and I didn't understand how they do what they do, if we never heard of cold reading before, we'd think the same way.

We'd feel that something just wasn't right about John Edwards and we'd know that however he is doing whatever he'd doing, he's a fraud but we'd be convinced by someone who did it better, like James Van Praagh.

We'd think yes there are people who are somehow scamming the vulnerable but we wouldn't know enough to recognize their same tricks but better done in someone else. We'd think, ok, there are fake psychics and real psychics like there are people who say they are Nigerians and real ones :).

Of course, once you know what cold reading is, you recognize it in everyone of them.


Very well said, and, I'm embarrassed to admit, I used to be in that camp. I didn't believe in Van Praagh, but thought that Sylvia was real. Then, thank goodness, I watched very closely, saw some problems, read up on the other side of the issue, and wow. That changed my life. And for the better. That is why this issue is so close to my heart. Having been there myself and now freed from that sort of crap, I HATE how so many others are being lied to and cheated. And I'm absolutly furious at how some unfortunates are basing important decisions (ie, the couple who would have cancelled their Life Insurance based on how long Syl said they would live) on her bogus "advice."

[Questioninggeller]

I just got a copy of this book, donated to the site. I think there will be several articles coming out of it...



Let me know if any of those stories need researched.

[PastBrowneFan]

As SB herself told her then husband Gary, "Screw 'em. Anybody who believes this stuff oughtta be taken."

Also, anyone interested in some "research" PM me. I'll only respond to those who have several posts in order to retain privacy.