A British “psychic” named Anne Germain has apparently been caught doing what faith-healing fraud Peter Popoff did when James Randi caught him in the mid-80s, using questionnaires and an in-ear receiver to give her information about the people in the audience she was conning. Citing a Spanish newspaper report, the Daily Mirror says:
It says it has seen copies of briefs prepared for Mrs Germain and allegedly handed to her before she met members of the crowd at her £60-a-ticket packed live shows and on her TV series.
In one encounter, it is claimed “spiritual medium” Mrs Germain had a dossier saying one audience member had worked at the family’s pottery business.
A section headed “deceased loved ones”, informed Mrs Germain of the name and age of the person’s relative as well as how they died.
In the subsequent show, the medium claimed to be communicating with the deceased and told the person: “She is showing different pots, plates and glasses.”
Mrs Germain, who uses a translator at her shows in Spain, confirmed to The People this week that dossiers had been prepared for her ahead of her events.
Popoff’s version of this was to have people coming to his faith-healing services fill out prayer request cards, which he then had his wife read to him through a receiver in his ear that the audience could not see.
10 comments
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grumpyoldfart
October 22, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
She won’t miss a beat.
Reginald Selkirk
October 22, 2012 at 9:52 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
They have dishes in Heaven?
John Hinkle
October 22, 2012 at 9:55 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Sixty quid per ticket!? That’s some good coin. I would get in on this racket, if it weren’t for that meddlin’ conscience.
MikeMa
October 22, 2012 at 9:56 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Really a combination: fraud by the charlatan and willful stupidity by the audience. A perfect match. People who write down prayer cards and then don’t recognize that crap spit back at them should be too stupid to remember to chew let alone reproduce.
Stella
October 22, 2012 at 9:57 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
They have forks in Hell.
Stella
eric
October 22, 2012 at 9:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
OMG, gambling at Rick’s!
dogmeat
October 22, 2012 at 9:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Not to mention those meddling kids and their pesky dog!
AJS
October 22, 2012 at 10:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This looks to have been copied wholesale, straight out of the book "Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks" by Christopher Brookmyre.
blf
October 22, 2012 at 11:05 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
A different British fraudster, possibly also doing a Popoff, with an insight into how much these scammers can earn, Why won’t psychic Sally Morgan accept our invitation to test her powers?:
The “million dollars” is a reference to JREF’s prize.
=8)-DX
October 23, 2012 at 4:37 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I don’t see what’s wrong. It’s all a show, everyone knows it, don’t they? She knows it, her staff know it, the public knows it, her audience surely… oh. Darn. I think she should’ve put up a disclaimer.