# How does Darren Brown fake out tellers for money?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 11, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443 "2009-02-11T23:27:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/1 "2009-02-11T23:27:18Z")
I think I’m talking about the right guy, Darren Brown, when I ask how he did the trick where he would give a bank teller pieces of paper shaped like money and the teller would give him back real money. Looks cool as hell. Did he have inside help? Did he simply go down the line of tellers until he found a spaced out one, or what?
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### Author:  [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/2 "2009-02-11T23:35:52Z")
He’s a mentalist, so I’m going to guess that he or others have made claims that he’s ripped off banks with hypnosis or something similar. Do you have any reliable evidence that he’s actually done what you claimed he has?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/3 "2009-02-11T23:42:10Z")
His name is \*\*Derren \*\*Brown. Sorry to nitpick, but it’s important if you’re searching for information about him.
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### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/4 "2009-02-11T23:44:42Z")
He has also apparently persuaded cashiers at racetracks to pay out on losing tickets. Damn, I hate that fellow!
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### Author:  [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/5 "2009-02-12T00:13:23Z")
We dealt with this subject recently. See [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=500947) I know it’s a thread about stage hypnosis, but it leads to some mentions of Derren Brown. If you are able to use the ‘search’ function, you will find several more threads that also refer to this wonderful entertainer and the things he does.
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### Author:  [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/6 "2009-02-12T00:28:31Z")
One way of doing it would be to have one of the producers go up to the person beforehand and say : “Hi. We’re from the Derren Brown show on Channel 4. If you go along with Derren and give him the money we’ll give you £50 later”
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/7 "2009-02-12T00:55:25Z")
1.
> [@mutantmoose](#):
>
> One way of doing it would be to have one of the producers go up to the person beforehand and say : “Hi. We’re from the Derren Brown show on Channel 4. If you go along with Derren and give him the money we’ll give you £50 later”
1. Keep the money
2. Profit!!!
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### Author:  [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/8 "2009-02-12T01:31:16Z")
Days and days of filming, and judicious editing, I suspect.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/9 "2009-02-12T23:14:39Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#):
>
> One way of doing it would be to have one of the producers go up to the person beforehand and say : “Hi. We’re from the Derren Brown show on Channel 4. If you go along with Derren and give him the money we’ll give you £50 later”
If this were the case, I think we could reasonably expect there to be reports in circulation from people who had been offered the deal. Are there any?
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### Author:  [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/10 "2009-02-12T23:42:38Z")
Not that I’m aware of. But they could possibly get people to sign a contract agreeing not to reveal the secret.
You may have seen another trick he did where a phone in a call box rang and a random member of the public answers it. They listen for just a few seconds and then slump to the floor apparently unconscious.
The same thing could apply again - offer them money.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/11 "2009-02-12T23:53:46Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#):
>
> Not that I’m aware of. But they could possibly get people to sign a contract agreeing not to reveal the secret.
How does that prevent people who turned down the offer from spilling the beans?
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### Author:  [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/12 "2009-02-12T23:57:39Z")
Who would turn down the offer? They get some money, their employers have no doubt ok’ed it. What’s the downside?
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/13 "2009-02-12T23:59:16Z")
So, no chance he’s using [slightly psychic paper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_items#P), then?
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/14 "2009-02-12T23:59:28Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> How does that prevent people who turned down the offer from spilling the beans?
Those people may not have all the facts.
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/15 "2009-02-12T23:59:48Z")
As this site on genuine [hypnotherapy](http://www.hypnos.info/pages/stage.html) says, quite rightly:
> [@](#):
>
> Hypnosis is not magic.
>
> It does not involve people being made to do things against their will.
>
> Film and TV depictions of hypnosis are often grossly inaccurate and can lead to some people developing a fear or distrust of hypnosis. People can be led to believe that the hypnotist can take control of the person being hypnotised, and even make them do something against their will. This is sometimes called the ‘Svengali effect’ (after the sinister character in the 1894 novel Trilby by George Du Maurier). While this may make for interesting storylines, the reality is quite the opposite.\*\* In hypnosis you are always in control and can choose to follow or ignore the suggestions of the hypnotherapist.\*\*
Stage ‘hypnotists’ are entertainers and have little to do with real hypnosis.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/16 "2009-02-13T00:53:55Z")
It’s a nice bit of social engineering.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/17 "2009-02-13T01:08:12Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#):
>
> Who would turn down the offer? They get some money, their employers have no doubt ok’ed it. What’s the downside?
Not everyone will accept money for anything. For example, people who felt it compromised their personal code of ethics (I recently turned down two quite lucrative offers on these grounds), or just people that _don’t like Derren Brown_. What you’re proposing is an extensive, perfect conspiracy.
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### Author:  [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/18 "2009-02-13T01:29:40Z")
Not really.
With the dog track one, you approach the employer first and get him to recommend a member of staff who he knows will be up for it. That way you eliminate the element of chance.
Just trying it on random employees would lead to the problems you raise but getting the big boss to say “Oh yeah, Janice, she loves Derren Brown and is always up for a laugh” would eliminate the danger.
Obviously Big Boss also has to sign the contract. Now you’ve only involved two people.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/19 "2009-02-13T01:34:36Z")
What about big bosses that don’t want a part in it? You’re way out on a limb here and you just need to admit it.
Besides, only a very small portion of Derren Brown’s work involves people in a corporate environment - the rest is just people on the street or other situations where they are not beholden to any big boss.
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### Author:  [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-darren-brown-fake-out-tellers-for-money/485443/20 "2009-02-13T02:07:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> You’re way out on a limb here and you just need to admit it.
Not at all. In fact I thought your next post would be an admission of defeat at my superior logic.
When you’re doing a magic trick, you want it to be as dazzling as possible so magicians will go to amazing lengths to accomplish very small seeming effects. I’ve read all his books and his biggest mantra is BE BOLD.
The manager of the dog track need only be told: We want to do a trick on one of your employees. Do you know one that would be up for it? He doesn’t need to know the details of the trick at this stage. In fact he doesn’t need to know ever. All he knows is a trick was done on Janice. He won’t be told the details of the trick.
So now we’ve got the number of people you have to tell down to just one. Janice.
I submit that asking the boss of a dog track - you’d be pretty certain of having an employee that would be up for it. Unlike, say, if Derren had approached Barclays Bank. They might have objections - but a dog track. They’ll be up for it, I reckon.
> [@](#):
>
> the rest is just people on the street or other situations where they are not beholden to any big boss.
Yea like I said magicians will go to amazing lengths. When he goes up to a stranger on the street and tells him loads of details about his life, it’s not impossible that his backstage team have done weeks or even months of research on the guy before the “chance” meeting.
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