Peter Popoff is STILL at it?!

NobbyNobbs

Gazerbeam's Protege
NobbyNobbs
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
5,617
I'm often in the unenviable position of being stuck in front of a television in the wee hours when the infomercials come on. I've noticed that when The Discovery Channel (the fact that it's this particular station is a rant for a different time) finishes its programming at 3am, the first to follow is Popoff.

His hook is "supernatural debt cancellation", with people testifying to their bank accounts suddenly overflowing or their bills mysteriously getting paid, though there is the occasional healing randomly thrown in for good measure. But all that are taken from clips of previous performances. The thrust of it is you call or go online and are sent, absolutely free, a vial of "miracle spring water" and an "anointed blessing tool". Drink the water and it'll heal arthritis, diabetes, gout, ulcers, jaundice, the bubonic plague, and ingrown hairs.

The "anointed blessing tool" seems to be a piece of paper, which I suspect contains instructions for sending him your life savings, the deed to the ranch, and your first-born child.

I thought Randi shut this guy down years ago? He's like a cockroach; stomp on him all you like, but next time you turn on the light there he is, grinning ear to ear and giving you the finger before scuttling back under the fridge.
 
Randi exposed him--he didn't shut him down. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have that authority, but it would be nice if he did. This stuff like supernatural debt cancellation sounds more like flat-out consumer fraud than conventional TV evangelism. I'd like to see the FTC do more to stop these guys. The problem is, they don't "sell" anything, they let people voluntarily send them money for bunk. It's the perfect scam. One of my favorites is the Jesus Prayer Rug. I get these in the mail every once in a while. It's actually quite hilarious and very amusing to read all of the their spiel. http://stupidevilbastard.com/2005/01/my_brother_receives_jesus_prayer_rug_scam/
 
Yes, the debt cancellation scam is quite complex* and doesn't involve him selling anything. I doubt the FTC could get him.

* from the point of view of what they ask you to do.
 
An old saying applies in this case: A leopard doesn’t change its spots.

This guy has shown all along that he is not just con-man, but a completely ruthless predator. He has always been willing to exploit people’s pain & misfortune to make easy money. The fact that he frames it all in holiness and the sacred beliefs of his victims demonstrates that such concepts have no meaning whatsoever to him. He is a completely unscrupulous individual.

No reason to think he will ever stop doing what he does. The best we could hope for is that people become more aware of his character and methods and do not fall for his swindles. It is a forlorn hope I think, considering another old saying by P.T. Barnum: There’s a sucker born every minute.
 
About ten years ago, I caught Popoff hawking little bottles containing a mix of "holy oil" and his own tears....The man has no shame.
 
Bikewer said:
About ten years ago, I caught Popoff hawking little bottles containing a mix of "holy oil" and his own tears....The man has no shame.
Click to expand...

I wish he start doing that again. I'd love to get into the production side of that one.

"Sorry, Peter...we needs nmore tears for the vials. THey have to be authentic, you know...let's start on the other knee!"

*Sounds of electric drill in the background...*

:D
 
Hellbound said:
I wish he start doing that again. I'd love to get into the production side of that one.

"Sorry, Peter...we needs nmore tears for the vials. THey have to be authentic, you know...let's start on the other knee!"

*Sounds of electric drill in the background...*

:D
Click to expand...


"...He's not crying anymore, boss!"

"His kneecaps must be all tapped out. Guess it's time to move on to the next zone, a little higher up..."
 
Jimmy Swaggart, Mike Warnke, etc... so many of these people exposed as frauds manage to still find rubes to support them.
 
My favorite was always the Reverend Ernest Angley. The toupee, the wild gyrations and crazed voice:

"Eeeeeeevol Deeeemons of Seeeeeein Come OUT-A!

...In the name of the Lord..."

I remember one show where he actually claimed a little girl was watching at home who'd been born with her feet on backward, and while she watched his show, a miracle of the Lord made her feet spin around so they were pointing the right way.
 
RossFW said:
But the question that always bugs me is, do you think he believes in God?
Click to expand...

Rather depends on what he defines as "God", doesn't it? Even the Biblical "God" has a multitude of faces.

It's possible he believes in his own version, I suppose.
 
Randi can't stop him because his followers don't want him stopped. These people believe whatever they want to believe and no amount of evidence or reason or common sense will stop this idiocy of theirs.
 
Nursedan said:
I think Randi has covered this recently in the Swift blog.

Randi destroyed Uri Gellar in the 70's but he still has a following. Scammers are pernicious; they will endure.

Edit: Here ya go http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1230-why-people-believe-peter-popoff.html
Click to expand...

Interesting article that I have to agree with. Desperation does change the balance for some people. Spending what little you have on a promise might not seem like a bad idea if you have no other way out. You'd be wasting your money in this case, but you'd have hope for a little while. That's what makes what Popoff is doing so evil.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom