Sensing Bullshit - Psychic Deb Webber Exposed.

By Jon Donnis

On August 13th, 2004 Australian Channel 7 broadcast a show called "Caught on Hidden Camera" but this wasn't a Beadles About type show, instead it was an exposure of one of Australia's best known Psychics.

They set Deb Webber up, by letting her give readings to three people, psychologist Michelle Smith, Tahlia and Joshua.

Deb then continued to communicate with dead people, who simply never existed.

But before we get into the exposure, lets take a quick look at Deb Webber herself.

Just 2 years ago, Deb Webber was a simply a single mother living in the Sunshine Coast area of Queensland. She was living by way of a pension.

But it seems she found a way to make much more money, from her humble beginnings she now charges $200 per hour to talk to YOUR dead relatives.

Just think about that for a second, she is charging YOU money so YOU can speak to your own dead relatives. Surely no one would want to pay that? Well they do, and in their droves.

On Debs promotional video she even talks to the famous dead, and Michael Hutchence makes an appearence during a reading for his brother Rhett.

But Deb is not without her critics, of which I am one of course.

Just think of what type of person is likely to visit Deb, the recently bereaved are always going to be vunerable people. And it wouldn't take much to be able to convince a person in such a state that you areindeed speaking to their dead relatives. Afterall who likes to think that once you're dead, you're dead.

One of Debs quotes when asked about sceptisism is:
"I don't judge the butcher, because I can't cut meat,"

Hang on a second Deb, Butchers actually do something that can be seen and measured.
Yes you will have good and bad butchers, but the fact they cut meat is not in question, it is only their skill.

So lets get back to the exposure, and first up is Psychologist Michelle Smith.
Michelle is single, but creates a dead husband for Deb to speak to.

And Deb obliges, she even manages to speak to this imaginary dead husband on more than one occasion!

Now that is an amazing skill, reminds me of a certain Derek Acorah!

Anyway Michelle later reveals.
"I never had a husband,"

"She saw two large dogs, a large house and property, I have none of those things."

Deb Webbers response to this is:
"If they lie to me, well it's like the spirits do it back to them,"

"All I can say is: people tell me I can do it."

Hang on, why would the spirits lie back to the clients through Deb? if this truly is the case, how can Deb ever trust what she receives? the truth is she can't.

Her other defence is that people tell her she can do it, well if I tell you Deb you can fly, will you go jump off the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

No didn't think so.

Deb was also tested with two other sitters. 
Next up was Joshua who invented a dead daughter and yet again Deb was able to fully communicate with this imaginary spirit.

And finally Tahlia who said she wanted to communicate with her dead sister, but as you have already guessed this dead sister simply did not exist. And yet amazingly Deb Webber was able to communicate with her.

Deb again defends herself.
"It's the truth,"

"I'm 100 per cent truthful - I only say what I'm getting back and I can't explain what I'm getting."

"I help more people than I hurt and I don't want to harm anyone."

Well Deb you claim to be truthful, yet you have been caught talking to spirits who never existed, and on more than one occasion too.

Your claims that if you lie to spirit they will lie back is simply ridiculous. If you were truly speaking to the dead, then should't you be able to tell who is real and who is not?


By Jon Donnis

You can now watch the associated videos below

An Investigation of Psychic Deb Webber

Originally Published 9th June 2007

Disclaimer:
The article below relies heavily on the material supplied by Melissa. Because of this we have to take at face value that what Melissa is describing is indeed true, we advise all readers to take this into account.

By Jon Donnis
I was approached recently by an Australian by the name of Melissa, she had read our First Article on Deb Webber, and wanted to tell us of her experiences with Deb Webber.

Melissa used to read Deb Webbers column in "Womans Day" magazine every week, she used to think she was "Absolutely Amazing".

Melissa tells us
"When I found her site on the net including her mobile number I called her and asked about a reading. She said she was not taking bookings for 2 years although she could fit me in next week, as well as 7 friends who also rung her."

So here we have one of the most common ploys used by psychics to try and convince potential clients that they are more busy than they actually are. Of course Deb Webber could fit them in, she could fit in almost anyone who rang her, there is no 2 year waiting list.

Melissa Carries on:
"One thing though when I rung her to make the booking my 3 kids were playing in the background and she said boy you have a noisy household and I said that's my kids.

She also told me she was one of the top 5 psychics in the world and had even been told she was better than John Edward."

Well that might sound impressive to a believer, but to anyone who has studied John Edward and his methods will realise that being better than him is not really that an impressive a claim.

"Also good psychics don't want any info, its best they do the reading not knowing anything."

Many psychics now use this as part of their spiel, they will tell you not to tell them anything, but the truth is they don't need you to tell them anything. They usually use the old quip of 'Just say yes or no, that way I can't possibly be cold reading you', and this relies heavily on the fact that most of the people that visit these psychics have no idea how cold reading actually works, because if they did, they would realise that cold reading works best when people just say yes or no.

Melissa:
"So on the morning of my reading I called with great anticipation and remembered her saying that good psychics need not know anything from you, they will tell you, so that's what I did, she asked me if there was anything specific I wanted to know, and I said no, thinking she will know what I want."

Why do I think that Deb is gonna bomb out now?

Melissa:
"Guess what, she couldn't get no info on me and asked me what I wanted to do, so I said try again in a couple of days, she did and once again could not tell me anything really at all."

Melissa shouldn't really have rang back, but for the sake of this article I am glad she did, as it shows that Deb Webber is a useless psychic.

Melissa:
"So after the reading I felt ripped off and disappointed, but thought bugger it I'm going to call and tell her, I did and said I was really not happy with the reading and that she told me nothing at all, she said 'was it because you weren't told what you wanted to hear', I said no because you never told me anything. So she agreed to give it one more go, but I was not impressed."

Deb Webber, has used a classic line here, blaming her own failure on that of the client, this is a very common ploy by psychics as a way to deflect the blame away from themselves.

Melissa:
"Anyway by attempt no 3 I was really skeptical by now, mind you I had been a believer for 34 years, so when I called she was not there. (what a surprise) So when I finally got her and had the final reading I was so annoyed and wanted to know certain things I just simply asked her the questions. I told her my brothers were like chalk and cheese and one loved being with family and the other did not need anyone and she says 'yes they are showing me one is like a soft fluffy cloud and the other is like a hard board."

And here is where Deb gets to use some classic cold reading, of course this is what she wants, she wants and needs information that she can then repeat back to the client.

Melissa:
"When I spoke of my partners dad she asked 'where is his mum', I said she died, and straight away Deb said 'oh yes she's standing here quietly in the background'"

More classic cold reading, all Deb is doing is repeating back what the client has already told her.

Melissa:
"Throughout the reading I could hear her opening cupboards and rummaging through things and thought how rude, shouldn't she be in a trance or concentrating on what my guides are telling her?"

Well if she was real then yes she should be in a trance or listening to guides and so on, but the truth is that when doing these phone readings, the psychic will often just be going about their normal daily life. Afterall if they are on the phone, why should they even treat it like real work?

Melissa:
"I told her we were building a house and she said there would be delays, in most cases this is correct, with mine it was a miss as our house went up in record time"

As Melissa rightly points out, Deb has used yet more cold reading, stating a very common occurance as something specific, unfortunately for Deb, on this occasion she was wrong.

Melissa:
"she got 2 kids and I said no I have 3, but I have 2 girls, and she replied that's what it is, no matter what I said she had a comeback to, and even as a believer I kept thinking I am telling her all the info and she's merely feeding it back to me"

That is what psychics do, luckily Melissa was able to notice this, and therefore was able to educate herself to the methods being used. Being a believer is always gonna make the psychics job easier.

Melissa:
"I told her I was going to university next year, and would drive the 40 km to and back each day for 3 years, she asked me what I was studying, I told her and then she said I would be in an accident hurting my neck and it would have to be cracked or put back in and would be very painful, I thought what are the chances of being on the road for 3 years travelling and being in an accident."

By making a future prediction Deb has herself pretty much covered, if an accident did happen, she could claim success, and if it didn't, well she need not worry as she has 3 years, and it is unlikely someone is gonna come back to a psychic after 3 years and ask why they never had the accident, in fact if they did, the psychic will just claim that by telling them, they helped prevent it, so you see it is a no lose situation for the psychic.

Melissa:
"I am no longer going to university next year even though she confirmed I would and that I would be successful in getting in, I'm just too busy with the kids and don't have enough time."

Again Deb bombs out, but then we are startingto expect that now aren't we!

Melissa:
"I asked her the sex of my brothers finances baby and Deb said they won't tell her because they like it to be a surprise."

Typical excuse from Deb here, in fact any time you ask a psychic a question which would need a specific answer, they will often try and fob you off. Basically when you ask a question to a psychic you are taking control of the reading, and no psychic wants to lose that control. Trust me, next time you go see a psychic try asking a specific question, they will always fail to answer.

Melissa:
"When the reading had first started she asked me who I wanted to contact and I said my Nana, and all throughout the reading she would just say 'Melissas Nana' and then ask the question. I was really feeling sorry and embarresed for Deb by the end of the reading."

No need to feel sorry for her, she was earning money by telling you this nonsense. Th fact she could not tell you your grandmothers name, is proof in my eyes that she was no in any kind of true communication with your grandmother.

Melissa:
"Deb also told me my father was quite fit looking and I said no he is very overweight, has just had an operation on both knees for bad arthritis and has sleep apnea, but one of my brothers are quited fit, to which she replied yes that's who it is."

Again simple cold reading, when Deb gets one of her guesses wrong, she simply twists it round to make it fit.

Melissa:
"She told me my mother makes me feel like I am 12 years old, well sometimes and so do all my friends mothers, she asked me who was the blondie and everyone in my family all have dark hair except my niece who is a sandy blonde so then I figured it must be her, but when I thought about it, it could've been several people and family members."

Yet more cold reading by Deb.

Melissa:
"I was so annoyed after the reading and knowing I had just wasted $160 after giving her all the info I really wanted and needed to know the truth, so a couple weeks later so she wouldn't know my voice I called her mobile blocking the number and told her I was pregnant with triplets and very scared, so she said call back that night, I did she was busy and to call in the morning, I did and I woke her."

So already Deb has made $160 without showing an ounce of psychic ability.

Melissa:
"I told her my name was Kylie from Mackay and was pregnant with triplets, had a dead hubby, was remarried, had 4 kids, owned my own hairdressing salon and was scared emotionally and financially. Deb told me the triplets would all be fine, one would be smaller than the other 2, this is common with triplets, my dead hubby set me up with hubby no 2 because he wouldn't want me to be alone, she saw me not working for a while, could not tell me the sex of the babies as the spirits like it to be a surprise, I would sell the business and invest the money, one day I would return to work as a mobile hairdresser or for someone else and that I would buy the kids clothes from charity stores. What a joke."

Well this is proof that Deb Webber works purely on the info given to her, Deb has in the past claimed that if people lie to her, then the spirits will lie too, yet Deb seemingly cant tell the difference. Wouldn't a simpler explanation be that Deb is not talking to spirit at all?

Melissa:
"When I told a friend of this she called Deb and said she was thinking of starting up a nursery business and Deb saw all the beautiful plants and green. And even told her to send her a business card when she was up and running and successful."

Deb is simply telling the client what they want to hear, it is a good way of keeping the client happy, and increases the rapour between them.

Melissa:
"She also told one of my other friends that she saw cancer and operation, and that she had a dark energy on her stomach the size of a football. My friend still has not recovered, she is a total wreck, Deb told her she couldn't tell her if it was cancer because she would carry that energy around all day, so instead gave her a name and number of a friend who reads your energy and who could let her know if it was cancer."

This is where psychics truly cross the line in my opinion, Deb is creating fear, panic and paranoia here in someone.

Melissa:
"So my friend rung her and this lady was to read her energy for $60 and call her back. She told my friend it was not cancer but an energy from a bad sexual experience from another life. And that she cleared it for her."

What an awful thing to say, of course it is something that cannot be checked in any way, and leaves the psychic or healer in this case totally free from any blame or discussion.

Melissa:
"When we rung Deb about this she told us she did not tell her she had cancer and that nearly everyone she reads for has the cancer energy because someone in their family has it."

Again this is quite sick, Deb is creating fear and panic in people, and of course doesn't have to deal with the consequences.

Melissa:
"My friend has had blood tests, ultrasound on her abdomen, ultrasound on her pelvis and even went to hospital and got a tube down her throat to look in her stomach, next the Doctor will want to put her in a psych ward I'm sure."

There is only one person who needs to be put on a psych ward here,and it is not your friend.
I am so sorry to hear that this poor girl has had to go through all of this, and all because of Deb Webber telling her things on the phone in an effort to pass off the trade to someone else.

Melissa:
"Deb also told one of the girls that she (Deb) had a selfmade millionaire friend, and one day they were talking, he told Deb how he had done everything in his life and had nothing left to do and a week later he died, Deb told my friend if you don't live life to the fullest, your guides will think your not living life right and not learning nothing they will kill you, what sort of sick person says this to anyone?"

This truly is disgusting, to claim that spirits will kill you if you do not live life to the fullest is a disgrace. Yes people should live life to the fullest, but ultimately it is their decision and not that of some invisible being. Again this is purely about creating fear and dependancy in the client.

I will end this article with a final quote from Melissa.

Melissa Finishes by telling us:
"One thing is for sure after contacting skeptics and reading up on cold reading on the net, it is my opinion that Deb is doing just that, in fact I am 110% positive of that. I Can't believe I believed in this rubbish for 34 years, just glad now we all know the truth, and I am trying to let as many people know as possible about this bullsh*t artist called Deb Webber."