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Fraudulent online fortune-tellers

Soil

This just proves that online fortune tellers are nothing but frauds or incompetent internet trolls

Reply 1

sport999

Original post by Soil

This just proves that online fortune tellers are nothing but frauds or incompetent internet trolls

What websites that from?

Reply 2

MrEFeynman

What, only online fortune tellers are frauds? :confused:

Reply 3

Soil

No but I'm just highlighting that people can con others easily these days with a computer screen as armour

and the website is SmartGirl fortune teller

Reply 4

Exon

Logic is enough proof.

Still I found that screenshot somewhat amusing.

Reply 5

iammeyouareyou

I'm pretty sure those responses are computer generated, like an online 'magic 8 ball'.

Reply 6

mahbun1

What do you think of Fortune Tellers as a whole? What are your opinions, are they frauds or do they genuinely have a gift and want to help others.

Reply 7

A5ko

Original post by mahbun1

What do you think of Fortune Tellers as a whole? What are your opinions, are they frauds or do they genuinely have a gift and want to help others.

Lying to vulnerable people about topics which could make or break their very lives... it's a pretty cold way to make money.

Reply 8

mahbun1

Have you ever got your fortune told before? Why do you feel that they are lying to vulnerable people, and that they just want to make money. (Sorry, I'm currently filming a documentary about fortune tellers). If possible, could you elaborate on your opinion.

Reply 9

Simes

Original post by Soil

Fraudulent online fortune-tellers

The word 'fraudulent' is redundant.

While I am confident some of them really believe they have some magical skill, they are all parasites and cause a lot of harm.

Burning them as witches was harsh, but fair.

Reply 10

mahbun1

How do they cause harm though?

Reply 11

mahbun1

By the way - I am not talking about online fortune tellers, I'm saying fortune tellers in general. Such as Palm Readers, Astrologers, Tarot Card Readers, Chinese Fortune Sticks, Turtle Shell Methods etc.

Reply 12

Simes

Original post by mahbun1

How do they cause harm though?

For starters, they are scamming people out of money by selling lies.

From a religious standpoint, from a devout Christian view they are doing the Devil's work or is at least sinful (applies to Islam and Judaism as well, I think).

Many forms of divination are pseudosciences and give lay people the impression mainstream science is also bunkum.

It is illegal in some countries not because they government are party-poopers but to protect naïve people from these scammers.

By making up fake evidence they cause trouble: http://depletedcranium.com/teen-tortured-over-fortune-tellers-claims/

There are villains hiding amongst these liars: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/when-is-fortunetelling-a-crime/382738/?single_page=true

Closer to home is the friend in her late 40s who was told 20 years ago "She'd never be lucky in love" and has made it come true by ensuring everything that has gone right has been neglected "Because the gypsy said it would go wrong anyway". Said "gypsy" (who still lives on the same traveller site she lived on in the 1990s) has ruined my friend's relationships by putting nonsense in her head.

Reply 13

mahbun1

I hope you don't mind me asking but do you have any reliable sources that state that fortune telling is illegal, because I did find one source where it stated it was illegal in New York, but I am not sure if that site is reliable?

But here in Hong Kong, a lot of the locals as well as the foreigners search for answers and they feel that they can get answers from these fortune tellers. I met with an astrologer, and she told me a few negative things were going to happen in my future, but I didn't listen and I just focused on the positive. But the negative did put me down a little, however I feel that they maybe can not tell the future, but they might be able to help with the present? - At least those who are not looking for money.

Have you ever met a fortune teller and gotten your fortune told?

Do you think that these people actually believe they have the power and then they are lying to others, or they don't believe it themselves and are lying to others?

Reply 14

Simes

Original post by mahbun1

I hope you don't mind me asking but do you have any reliable sources that state that fortune telling is illegal

Google it. Saudi Arabia, various USA states, among others.

Original post by mahbun1

I feel that they maybe can not tell the future

Of course they can't!

Simple proof: if they could, they wouldn't be selling their services to plebs like us. Instead they'd be working for governments (which would be perfect and not making cockups) or running the planet for themselves.

Original post by mahbun1

Have you ever met a fortune teller and gotten your fortune told?

Nope. I'm not that gullible.

Original post by mahbun1

Do you think that these people actually believe they have the power and then they are lying to others, or they don't believe it themselves and are lying to others?

I firmly believe some of them believe themselves. That has been shown to be true for quite a few such divining people; James Randi frequently came across people who were genuinely surprised to learn they had no special skill.

I am also sure some of them know full well they are ripping people off; these are probably the majority.

Reply 15

thunder_chunky

Original post by Soil

This just proves that online fortune tellers are nothing but frauds or incompetent internet trolls

All fortune tellers are frauds, as are people involved in all that astrology bull****.

Reply 16

mahbun1

No Sorry, I was just asking about fortune tellers in person, not on the internet, the ones on the internet are complete scams, do you have any proof that actual not online fortune tellers are frauds?

Reply 17

mahbun1

Do you have any proof that fortune tellers (not the ones online) are frauds? Maybe they can just tell you about your present by looking at your stars, reading your palm etc, and based on that make predictions that sound likely to happen, but they can't always tell you your future? Therefore, maybe they are just people that can give you advice based on your life right now? If you are not working hard at school, they can therefore make a prediction that you won't be successful, then you might start working harder in order to change that, so really they might just be helping? What do you think?

Reply 18

Simes

Original post by mahbun1

do you have any proof that actual not online fortune tellers are frauds?

(a) Don't you think the onus is on them to prove they can do something so incredibly miraculous as predict the future, rather than on others to prove they cannot?

(b) If they could predict the future, they wouldn't need to sell their services for a few quid a time.

(c) If they could only predict other people's futures (how silly, we all have the same future), they would sell their services for a vast fortune at a time.

(d) If anyone, anyone at all, could predict the future, there would be no lotteries, no horse racing, no stock markets.