# why hasnt peter popoff been taken off the air or arrested for fraud ......? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664 "2016-12-02T20:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/1 "2016-12-02T20:50:32Z")
Ok on the infomercial circuit theres a televangelist named peter popoff that’s claiming all sorts of miracles that happens because of him and his “living water” apparently he gives it away free I thought he sold it but since the infomercial goes all over the place … It shows him in a service with disabled people throwing walkers and such and all of a sudden dancing round and people saying " I was in debt 30,000 til I bought this stuff and I got a check for 50,000 the next day and other so called miracles (for a pop culture reference theres an episode of good times that shows a preacher like this that jj almost joins until he overhears how fake and what a con it is ) So is he covered by this because of his religious status or just no ones dared to complain yet heres a news report on it [Controversial Televangelist Peter Popoff Hawks 'Miracle Water' | Church & Ministries News](http://www.christianpost.com/news/controversial-televangelist-peter-popoff-hawks-miracle-water-93290/) I mean come on when even other people in your professional career seems to think your a con … ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/2 "2016-12-02T21:37:03Z")
I don’t know. Maybe his water works? Are you gonna try it? I’m hoping a check for 50k finds you soon! ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/3 "2016-12-02T21:40:29Z")
lol I wish I could use it … but maybe that’s why he gives it away … so he can hook ya on the mailing/donation list and not get busted for selling snake oil ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/4 "2016-12-02T21:53:44Z")
As far as I know, there aren’t any applicable laws regarding so-called “prosperity theology”. John Oliver had a multi-episode parody of this ([“Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption”](http://www.ourladyofperpetualexemption.com/)). which he set up perfectly legally and used to ask for “seed money” on the (obviously joking, but 100% legal even if he wasn’t) promise that God would reward donors with greater riches later on. Apparently, numerous donors decided to interpret the “seed” aspect in an undesired way, and the Church was officially closed. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/5 "2016-12-03T00:37:34Z")
Popoff was once famous for knowing impossible details about the folks who came to his revivals. Then on an episode of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, James Randi revealed that Popoff wore a tiny earpiece and his wife fed him those details via radio. I’m saddened to hear he’s back. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/6 "2016-12-03T00:52:17Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Popoff was once famous for knowing impossible details about the folks who came to his revivals. Then on an episode of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, James Randi revealed that Popoff wore a tiny earpiece and his wife fed him those details via radio. > > I’m saddened to hear he’s back. The character of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth in [_Fletch Lives_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097366/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt) is a satire of Popoff. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/7 "2016-12-03T12:47:41Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > lol I wish I could use it … but maybe that’s why he gives it away … so he can hook ya on the mailing/donation list and not get busted for selling snake oil It will be this. It will be a way of getting a mailing list of really stupid, gullible people. Armed with that, he will sell other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/8 "2016-12-03T18:46:26Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > It will be this. It will be a way of getting a mailing list of really stupid, gullible people. Armed with that, he will sell other stuff. Popoff doesn’t sell. He just hits you up for more money. I’ve seen people play the system (even not actually giving money). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/9 "2016-12-03T20:16:40Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The character of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth in [_Fletch Lives_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097366/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt) is a satire of Popoff. Yew betcher ass. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-peter-popoff-been-taken-off-the-air-or-arrested-for-fraud/773664/10 "2016-12-03T23:41:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Popoff doesn’t sell. He just hits you up for more money. I’ve seen people play the system (even not actually giving money). How do you play the system? Not send money? That would seem underwhelming.