Thursday, June 05, 2014

Long Island Medium Investigated For Fraud

According to Radar, Long Island Medium Teresa Caputo, is being investigated for fraud. Apparently she performed in front of 2500 paying people recently and she didn't get any readings right. None. I guess her advance team let her down that night and people complained to Ticketmaster about the performance. Do you remember that Steve Martin movie Leap Of Faith? That pretty much shows how psychics gather their information. Even though Martin played an evangelist in the movie, many of the same tricks hold true and the thing to do is get as much information about the people as possible. According to the investigation, when you buy a ticket to one of her shows, you have to provide your full name and address and phone number. Her staff then starts Googling everyone and looking for things they can use. They focus on the people who bought tickets in the first few rows. I have watched her television show a few times and of course she is always correct on the show. Who is going to watch or why would she participate if they made her look like an idiot?

118 comments:

Violet said...

A fake medium? No. Never.

OneEyeCharlie said...

Afternoon, Violet. Good morning, everyone else

Beetlejuice said...

Duh and/or hello!

sandybrook said...

I just spit up my coffee. A medium is a fraud who knew? BREAKING NEWS snicker!
Morning/afternoon Violet and Charlie

TalksTooMuch said...

I wondered about that; I saw she would be performing live for the next season opener. Or did, I'm super behind on my PVR. I also got all excited when I saw the headline, thought it was about Medium.

AJ said...

Surprise, surprise.

FSP said...

I wonder if she saw this coming.

Kristin Wigs said...

Sandybrook, you need to be a bit more diligent about checking your goddamn email.

phrancophaux said...

I'm just here for the comments. First time poster, time commenter superfan. Hi everyone!

LottaColada said...

I can't stand her nails.

Krgl420 said...

You must be a real piece of shit to profit off grieving people I hope she gets sued

phrancophaux said...

I fudged my first post. As TTM would say, "Commenting is tough, y'all!"

Cake said...

I see an "F"...anyone know an "F"?...

OneEyeCharlie said...

Welcome, phrancophaux. Don't be a stranger

Haywood Jablomee said...

This sucks donkey dicks. Ultimate spoiler alert. These rubes/fools and their money must part ways. There are Nigerian princes dreaming of separating these idiots from their money. Also, the carpet probably doesn't match the drapes on this broad. Are we gonna put her in the pokey for that too?

AJ said...

BTW Morning everyone. Been feeling crummy and have lots to catch up on. LOL. Crohns sucks.

Cake said...

Hello phrancophaux

Steampunk Jazz said...

Morning everyone! Sounds like she pissed off her identity identification squad OR had technical difficulties that interfered with her earwig audio feed, thus blowing the reads...:'(

TalksTooMuch said...

(Psst Kristin: you know we can all hear you, right?)

sandybrook said...

Kristin my inbox is totally empty :(

Steampunk Jazz said...

Get phranc, welcome to ' the show' :-D

Kristin Wigs said...

I realize this. I just need to give Sandy a friendly punch to the temple :)

TalksTooMuch said...

Actually, phrancophaux, I believe that one was a Wanton turn of phrase

Unknown said...

Dead MeMaws everywhere breath a sigh of relief.

Steampunk Jazz said...

That is, Hey phranc! Spellczheck, bad. No learn sandy! Bad ,bad ,bad...

MollyMo said...

Bahaha!

AJ said...

Hi Phranco ! Welcome to CD&N.

Steampunk Jazz said...

AJ, hope good wishes can give you ease..:-\

sandybrook said...

If you use a gmail account try again. I had to block it 2 years ago and I just unblocked it.

Kelly said...

I'm shocked at such a thing! Shocked!

Henriette said...

Shocker! I wonder if she was as bad as John Edwards who used to bully his guests with his readings.

phrancophaux said...

Hello and thanks, everyone! What other secrets do you think she has in her hair? That 'do should be considered an act of terrorism.

Steampunk Jazz said...

Truthfully, I was hoping this was the E-CIG medium...

TalksTooMuch said...

Me too, Steamy. Know THIS: I am disappointed

Henriette said...

There are a lot of books out about cold readings. I wonder if this gifter was as bad as Sylvia Brown.

Kristin Wigs said...

Steamy the e-cig psychic is a truth teller. Not like these amateurs.

Paint Chips said...

This story put a big smile on my face. What a great way to start the day!

TalksTooMuch said...

There was a show about her and everything! So Allison DuBois HAS to be legit! Ohh, wait. I still love her, that caustic betch, and I honestly loved that show

Henriette said...

Is the e-cig the one who inspired that show Medium and married to a rocket scientist? She was all kinds of awful.

ms. mesha said...

Morning all! Howard stern was goin to have her on but she wanted 20mins alone.with the person she was going to."read"...he called BS and didn't give her the airtime.

TalksTooMuch said...

That's the one, Henriette! She was all kindsa wonderfully awful! Know that!

Henriette said...

@TTM
I was more impressed that she was married to a rocket scientist.

Anonymous said...

At least Ms. Cleo was entertaining, a feast for the (visual) senses and had a BADASS Jamaican accent.

TalksTooMuch said...

I didn't remember that, Henriette.

Steampunk Jazz said...

@Henriette, TTM, I DIDNT KNOW THAT! :-D

Henriette said...

Ms. Cleo was the original! That Van Pug guy was so obnoxious with his crying. I remember when medium shows were all over daytime TV until the news shows started airing stings on how psychics were grifters. My fave is Laura Day,calls herself an intuitive, and counsels Demi Moore and Brad Pitt. She is obviously better with Pitt than Moore.

Henriette said...

Yeah, the Medium chick wrote a book and her husband did the forward. He works/worked for NASA. My sis was a big fan of hers and read all her stuff.

Kat has left the building said...

Oh nooo my neighbor loves her and even went to see her! Neighbor said she knew things that she just couldn't have guessed! I wonder if I should tell he or let her find out o her own. Of course I want to spread the gospel of Enty and tell her, possibly converting her into a daily gossip worshiper.

Steampunk Jazz said...

Fancy, I thought Dionne Warwick was the original with Miss Cleo( my fave) about 3months later. I remember the commercials were showing around the same time.

Henriette said...

My sis loves psychics and mediums. She blabs to them all her business and is SHOCKED by how accurate they are. She went to one psychic about her relationship problems, and the psychic said her husband and her would work out. My sister is gay and has a wife.

JSierra said...

I saw her live and the things that she said for some people were really impressive, so to say. But she only hit the mark two, maybe three times and everything else was her awkwardly scrambling and pacing around in rhinestone red soles. She only paid attention to people on an aisle and only the ones who had ground seats, which were $2500 a pop.

auntliddy said...

Huh. She seems to believe her own schicht. Prob means no harm but if u ever watched her shiw, its all the same- the dead are happy and want u to be happy too. Big woo. Idamae, now there was a psychic, lol. "You in danger girl!" Lol. Anyway, the medium will have usual answer: Sometimes spirit cant or wont come thru. Spirit can be blocked by lights or negative energy. I have no control over it, and am sincerely sorry yadda yadda yadda". How can u argue with that? But really wth was the audience expecting?!

Henriette said...

@JSierra
Those people were probably well researched by her team.

Count Jerkula said...

Rubes wanting a psychic investigated for fraud shows a stupidity level on par with a john wanting money back from a hooker because she didn't love him.

Henriette said...

"I see a man, yes a man, and his name begins with an "M" a "Marint" or a "Michael." Does anyone in the audience have a man in their life whose name begins with "M"?

selenakyle said...

I must be a total moron (don't answer that!) but I believe in a lot of mediums and psychics, and have always hoped Teresa was for real.

audrey said...

Dionne Warwick was just a mouthpiece to advertise Psychic Friends Network. She herself wasn't. A girl has to earn a buck somehow.

Melissa of Grand Island said...

AJ, said a prayer for you this morning. I also put you on my prayer list. Hope today is batter than your last.

Melissa of Grand Island said...

This is so funny! I spit out my tea, thank you! I needed that funny!

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

HAY GUISE I IS TEH SYKICK!!!

I see the future... there's a man, a famous man, he will be written about, it will happen today... he has cheated on his significant other.

And more... I see... Four, no five, five parts, broken down, fewer words, only captions. There's a red carpet. It's bright and dark... a camera flash! There are famous people there, and there are more famous people in a different area, a shopping area, and... health, like a gym or a spa...

And I see beautiful women, not famous... they will be seen here by all today. They are people that we know... they are us! Their faces will be revea ====PLEASE INSERT CREDIT CARD TO RESUME READING.

Henriette said...

I hate that they prey on people at their lowest points.

DommyMommy said...

I'm so glad she's been busted. Kelly Ripa is always blabbing how this "medium" told her (Ripa) she was expecting her second child before Ripa even told the "live" staff. Look at the tape. LIM comes in, kinda does a double take looking into Ripa's eyes and then starts her line of questioning regarding possible pregnancy. Pregnancy causes the shape of the eye to change - my friend suddenly couldn't wear her contacts and her ophthalmologist asked her if she was preggers. She was. My take, LIM knew Ripa, and as an expert scam artist, knew to recognize the signs, saw the deepening of the iris and made the call once Ripa gave a tell confirming her pregnancy. Sorry for the novel. I despise people who prey on the grief stricken and the wounded.

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Not long ago 20/20 did a report on psychics. They talked to fans after a reading and they were all "psychic got almost nothing wrong!" But they played back the video and found the psychics threw out like 50 or 80 wrong things: "I see a J, John, do you know a John? No? James? Jay? Jack? Jeff?" The fans' brains ignored the missed stuff.

Hammer_Girl said...

Had a reading done once and was told that among other things my "soul mate" would be someone I worked with and we would fall madly in love, have 2.5 kids yada yada. Well, bitch left out the fact that the man of my dreams was a lying piece of shit. He ended up being married with 3 kids already. Never trust hot Asian guys with dreads ladies!

0_0 said...

So does she beat out John Edwards for this year's Biggest Douche in the Universe?

Riven said...

It's about fucking time. People like her make me sick. I say this as someone who's mother is obsessed with people who proclaim they can contact my dead brother. Fuck her and everyone like her that preys on grieving people.

rajahcat said...

do people really believe this crap?......she is so full of shit

con artist

Kelly said...

Penn and Teller also did a thing on them on their show Bullshit.

Steampunk Jazz said...

Hey Riven, my mom was the same way, she just wanted her dead mom's forgiveness for not taking care of her in her decline so she locked onto John Edwards like he was the answer..:-\ She would go Off trying to convince me to take her to a taping.

rajahcat said...

sorry Hammer G. :(

SugarTitz said...

allison dubouis rules!

Sincerely,Your Friend said...

FLIMMMM & FLAMMM

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Minor point: It's John Edward, not Edwards... John Edwards is the disgraced ex-senator.

I can understand the confusion, though: One of them is a lying, deceitful jerk that manipulates everyone he meets.

AJ said...

@Steampunk
TY. It's been a rough few days.

AJ said...

@Melissa
TY ! Always appreciate it. Definitely better today than yesterday.

Unknown said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSk5yclEfjA (Penn & Teller's Bullshit, Episode 1: Talking to the Dead)

JSierra said...

Henriette there was some man who had a face tat covering his entire chest, you know that was his fb profile pic. The only really weird part was when she asked If someone in a certain seating area had a feather that was special to the deceased Abe no one spoke up until finally this lady pulls a wad of cat hair out of her pocket and said she had been hoping to hear from her long dead cat. Theresa was all "he is here with us, he wants you to know he loves you, blah blah"

Sincerely,Your Friend said...

Is there anyone here who's had coffe this morning? I feel a couple tea todelers, but I feel someone who's had coffee.
Yes, you had coffee. And you have a great great grandmother who has passed?? Yes. Well she's there when you drink your coffee. She wants you to be careful not to burn yourself because....wait...wait...ok, she's telling me that you like your coffee hot and she doesn't want you to burn your tongue. She...,wait....she tells me you have a favorite mug you drink out of...wait...she wants me to tell you she lines that one too, but that she used to put cubes if sugar of sugar in hers.

TalksTooMuch said...

Truer words, Hammer. Also, having trouble picturing

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Sincerely,Your Friend -- U haz teh gift! SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!


AJ -- That's terrible you're not feeling well, and glad you're better today. :)

bored soccer mom said...

Aj- I have Crohns too. Hope you are feeling better soon. It can be so brutal.

Charles said...

Most people don't realize how short she is. So now that she's wanted, does that make her a small medium at large?

Thank you folks. I'll be here all week. Tip your waiters. Try the veal.

auntliddy said...

Hammer, asian with dreads wasnt eniugh of signal?! Lol. Seriiusly, sorry this happened to you, stinks. Hugs.

Hammer_Girl said...

LMAO, yeah I know. He was half Asian, half American. So he had height thank goodness since I'm 5'7 barefoot. All I can say is my taste in men is very diverse. No plain old John Smith for me.

Hammer_Girl said...

No worries though ladies, payback is a bitch and let's just say I wear that word like a badge of honor.

Heather said...

Thanks for the laugh guys <3

@Zeeky, that was super funny!

skippy said...

I'm getting a mother figure... Does anyone here have a mum?

AJ said...

@Bored
Hugs. Hope your doing well with yours. I think brutal is the perfect word to describe crohns. Been scaring the hubby the past few days with the gut alien noises.

AJ said...

@Zeeky
TY :-) Always appreciated.

crila16 said...

I was just in Lake Tahoe and she was performing there. I wonder if that's where it happened.

I personally don't know if I believe in psychics, though I did go to this one witch in Salem 6 mos ago, and she is the first psychic who's ever hit everything on the head and most of her predictions have come true.

Meanie Rhysie said...

@Lotta, that's her real crime, huh? lol

TalksTooMuch said...

Ba dum tish jazz hands!!

JSierra said...

Hammer shame he was a dick because he sounds really smchexy.

Seven of Eleven said...

I loved the show Medium! It was based on Allison DuBois and her family initially but they veered off and made their own stories. She's just one of the reasons I refuse to watch any "real" housewives show after finding out the "real" Allison is nothing like TV Allison and Joe.

This reminds me of that horrible Sylvia Brown who told a mother on national TV that her daughter was dead. Amanda Berry was found alive last year. Screw you, Sylvia Brown, and your scam artist ilk.

I would say good morning, but someone said we're now doing "ranked shout outs" and I wouldn't want anyone to feel like a Z-lister, much less anger some Milk Duds.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

Zeeky: And the other one's just a self-professed medium, right? ;-)

I've had a couple of amusing episodes w/psychics: the first one was around 25 years ago; I was going in to have my tea leaves red, but the reader (an older black lady) didn't do it like that--she'd prop your ankle on her knee, slap a piece of paper on the sole of your shoe, and scribble on it w/a ball-point pen to get her impressions. The one thing I remember distinctly is her telling me that my dead grandmother (I don't think I mentioned that, at the time, one of my grandmothers was dead) was looking out for me. I mentioned it to my mom years later; she got a funny look on her face and, after a moment, said "...you know, you always were her favorite grandchild." Um, no, I didn't know that...

The other one was when I went for a reading when I turned 50, and the psychic (this time a very friendly gay man) kept looking between my face and my hand, back and forth, over and over, until I finally figured out the problem and told him I was turning 50. "Whew," he said, "your hand kept saying "50" but your face was saying "40"". I'll take that as a compliment. ;-)

Robin the Mad Photographer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
umop 3pisdn said...

No, it's her hair

Jonathan Andrew Sheen said...

I wish more of these vicious, filthy scumbag charlatans would be caught and prosecuted -- enough to bring the whole disgusting con into the disrepute it so richly deserves.

These assholes prey on the most vulnerable people in the most callous, vile, revolting way possible.

yinyang said...

I can't even get past @FSP comments .. Just did what @sandy did & now my puppy is licking my rug.. TY for making my day !
Gotta read rest of comments to make to just giggle this day away. The posters here by far are the most brilliant commentators on blogs!

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Robin - Survey said... DING! We would also have accepted "a douche sandwich" and "deceitful, lying jerk." +500 to you!

Now I wanna go watch some James Randi videos! For those unfamiliar, Randi is a former magician that has been debunking all manner of cons.

Caught faith-healer Peter Popoff using radios with confederates feeding him information. Debunked Uri Geller's magical spoon bending; "magnetic" people (thwarted with baby powder) and craploads more.

His Randi Foundation will give a million bucks to anyone that can prove supernatural abilities. Decades later, nobody has won.

AListDiva said...

Isn't this just really an opinion if u believe these things or not? I'm sure some part of her show is staged/set up, but this is kind of ridiculous to me!

Snapdragon said...

Anyone can believe anything they want. They can have an opinion on whether something like mediums or psychics are real. Disregarding the reality of it (see: $1million offer noted above) isn't really an opinion; rather, it's more like willful ignorance.

Kat has left the building said...

The people who go to her are just desperate to hear what they want. They get sick comfort from giving fake psychics all their money. If it wasn't a psychic it would be a used car salesman, Wolf of Wall Street, hookers, a catfish who promised marriage if they kept sending money to London bc their visa was expired...

packer said...

I have watched this show. I like her. I told my daughter today and I said I guess there is know hope. Terresa is nice person and has good kids and husbands is nice. Her nails are to long.I wonder if they are real.I do watch to much reality.The shows on NBC, CBS and ABC are to violent or just insult to me. Fox shows are real bad. I hope this not true, we will have to see the outcome.

CanadianMiss said...

Well, there goes all my faith in humanity! Is nothing sacred?

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Inside Edition had a really good segment on psychics and their work with missing persons cases a couple years ago.

Reporter visits a psychic (on-camera) with a photo of a missing girl, said they're doing a story about whether or not psychic ability exists, and whether they can help investigations.

Psychic says the girl was killed, gave a story about what happened. Was quite sure of it.

Except... there was no missing girl. The reporter used her own childhood photo. Oddly enough, the psychic stuck to the story, even with the reporter saying "This picture is ME. I'm not dead!"

Auty said...

she was great in Long Beach this week - nailed a huge number of the readings. It's fine to be a skeptic, but either she's really prepared and gathering information to "cheat" or she's incompetent and never gets a reading right. Can it really be both? Regardless - the night was VERY entertaining - she could be a comedian and would have been worth the price of admission.

Auty said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Seachica said...

Surely the fraud is for trying to pass that awful wig off as real hair

JoElla said...

I believe some people actually do have the gift. Many do not.
It really is a buyer beware type of thing.

She seems like a nice person, and I do enjoy watching her show (when I remember or come across it surfing)but does one really know?

Henriette said...

What people don't realize is how much information they give psychics and it's in hindsight that the psychics are proven right. After and hour reading, a psychic mentions the client will "find love." Well, most people will find love unless they have are hermits or have some major socially awkward maladjustment.

My sister will continue to go to psychics no matter how many times they are wrong, because she wants to believe and actually, there are psychic addicts who are as bad as gamblers.

I had a folklore prof in college who lived for messing with psychics and did the best cold readings in class. Many in my class believed she was the real deal even though she told them outright she was just doing basic cold readings.

B626 said...

Caputo came up empty handed at Kellys show awhile back. Last 10 minutes of show was all commercials to cover up embarrassing results. Nothing.

CamColty said...

This gives me the sads.

I'm naive, though.

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Seachica - Hahaha!! If Caputo leans any more in the photo, her hair is gonna fall right off!

Meg said...

Anyone who reads up on cold reading can see this is exactly what she does, along with some hot reading when she has the opportunity. It's a talent actually, she's quite convincing. But when I see her talking to a little kid about their dead parent, I want to punch her in the face. Shameless, although I'm sure sh's convinced herself that she's doing them a favor.

Buddy Bones Smith said...

I saw her a couple of years ago, and honestly, there was no way she could have known all that she did. It was a large venue, and she read in the front, back, middle, sides, and balcony-all over the place. A lot of people buy blocks of tickets, so I don't see how they could research every person. Theresa also says she doesn't want negative or scary stuff, but there was something that happened with an audience member that clearly left Theresa kind of shaken.

Anyway, it was a very interesting experience. However, I have worked in mental health for 20 years, and I believe I can do a great cold reading, just due to experience and history.

Carol said...

The medium John Edwards works the same way.

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

Meauxelle - She may have a system like faith-healer Peter Popoff.

In the lobby they have attendees fill out prayer cards, with your name, address, illness, and so forth. His people go through and pick out different ones, which are read to him via a radio frequency and a tiny earphone.

Skeptic James Randi brought along recording/receiver equipment and was able to hear how the con works. Popoff's wife would say: "Peter, there's a woman named Mary McElderly, 123 Gotcha Street. She has trouble with her eyes and back."

Onstage, Popoff would parrot the stuff: "The Holy Spirit is calling on me, calling out for Mary, Mary McElderly, you have cataracts, you are worried about the surgery."

Caputo may do things differently, but it's probably much of this same setup, along with the Googling of attendees.

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