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Marie Callas

Crundy

Critical Thinker
Crundy
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
475
Anyone heard of this woman? I got a mailshot from a company (UK) I bought some kitchenware from a while ago with an insert (scanned here). A quick google shows she's actively known as a scammer in Australia:
http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/consumerprotection/scamnet/Scams/Maria_Callas.html
As well as Singapore apparently:
http://blog.thestar.com.my/permalink.asp?id=4087

She's asking for people born between 1932 and 1969, so people in the age range 39 - 76, i.e. people who either have a high disposable income or good savings and are likely to fall for this woo-woo.

Looks like you get loads of stuff ABSOLUTELY FREE, and then get pummelled with requests for money.

So, I'm obviously going to complain to the company who sent the mailshot (why the hell am I protecting them? It's Jean-Patrique, purveyor of crap overpriced knives and other naff kitchenware), but who else to warn? Trading standards? Watchdog?
 
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Obviously I wouldn't advocate this naughtiness but wouldn't it be fun if lots of people sent envelopes to the FREEPOST address and Ms Callas had to pay the postage on them all?
 
Never heard of her. Strange she says you need to reply ASAP so she can tell you the luck you'll experience, but doesn't actually say it won't happen if you don't write. I wonder if that's where the money will come up in the follow up: "here's what will happen if you subscribe to my newsletter blah blah blah...".
I feel for the people who fall for this kind of thing, I can't get to grips with the mindset of someone who doesn't spot the alarm bells with the fact that such a vast array of people are suddenly all going to be richer. Lucky enough to be born between these dates???

You may not want to do this Crundy, but it could be fun to respond with a false name and see what the follow up is?
 
fingersmith said:
You may not want to do this Crundy, but it could be fun to respond with a false name and see what the follow up is?
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I did think about that, but it looks like the scam is to bombard you with junk mail requesting money for extra services, which I'd rather not receive. Could we make up a fake persona and get the mail delivered to an external address?

P.S. I've reported this to Watchdog.
 
You may not want to do this Crundy, but it could be fun to respond with a false name and see what the follow up is?
Click to expand...
We did this. You get letters about 'your lucky stones' and promising that you will win money somehow. Of course, getting you lucky stones and blessed pieces of paper will cost you $70-100 (they got more expensive each time- just to clarify we didn't send them a cent, they just sent more letters). After a few months of not reply to the 'woo woo' letters, we started getting ones advertising p0rn and viagra and penial enlargement. They stopped after about a year.
 
I love her "mystical eyes" look - do people really fall for this crap?

Makes me think we should give up being sceptics and construct the world's greatest money-make woo ever. I mean, we have the knowledge, we know what works..... who better to exploit the human race? :D
 
Giraffe107 said:
We did this. You get letters about 'your lucky stones' and promising that you will win money somehow. Of course, getting you lucky stones and blessed pieces of paper will cost you $70-100 (they got more expensive each time- just to clarify we didn't send them a cent, they just sent more letters). After a few months of not reply to the 'woo woo' letters, we started getting ones advertising p0rn and viagra and penial enlargement. They stopped after about a year.
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What country are you in?

I note that she offers a free reading (telephone?). Might be worth recording it and putting it on the web, with comments about how they are cold reading.

Could this be another 'stop' venture for RSL? I do like reading his stuff :)
 
devnull said:
I love her "mystical eyes" look - do people really fall for this crap?

Makes me think we should give up being sceptics and construct the world's greatest money-make woo ever. I mean, we have the knowledge, we know what works..... who better to exploit the human race? :D
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Those without conscience, I expect...
 
Just sent the below (harsh) email to Jean-Patrique:
I was pretty disgusted to see your company sending out mail inserts for the above scam artist. Did you even bother to Google her name before deciding to include this to allow the more vulnerable of your customers to be exposed to this fraud?

FYI, the company is well known as a scam outfit in many countries (e.g. Australia, see report by the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection: http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/consumerprotection/scamnet/Scams/Maria_Callas.html).

Please remove me from your mailing list, I have no interest in any further business with your company. I would recommend you send a warning out in your next mailshot, but I'm guessing you wouldn't embarrass yourselves like that.
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Crundy said:
What country are you in?

I note that she offers a free reading (telephone?). Might be worth recording it and putting it on the web, with comments about how they are cold reading.

Could this be another 'stop' venture for RSL? I do like reading his stuff :)
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I am in Australia, as mentioned in the OP she is seen as a scammer here.

As for RSL, I think there are more worthy targets out there- yes Marie is a scammer but she doesn't have the cult following of some other :cough:John Edwards:cough:
 
Is John Edwards still active? I assumed it was still his naff "Crossing Over" show he did, or is he spreading his wings?
 
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