Matt Fraser (psychic)

Fraser stars in a reality TV show, Meet the Frasers, on E! beginning in January 2020. The series focuses on Fraser and his family, including his fiance Alexa Papigiotis,[13] his mother and his sister Maria Fraser, who said in a promo that "I don't believe in psychics... But, I support my brother and I respect what he does, 'cause he's making money."[14] A second season was planned, but has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Fraser addressing a row in his audience, January 2018

Critics and the media have attended Fraser's live shows, and reported on the cold reading techniques being used:

• Paranormal investigator Kenny Biddle wrote: "I watched Fraser ask entire rows of people to stand up at a time then commence throwing out general statements (e.g., I'm seeing a father figure that passed) and waiting for someone in the row to claim it was their relative ... he was actually giving himself a one in twelve chance that someone will be hooked." Biddle also noted that Fraser may playfully scold an audience member if they were not forthcoming with the psychic connection required to continue his routine.[7]
• Skeptic Susan Gerbic wrote: "The wordplay used by a medium who is cold reading is only something you can understand if you slow it down and replay it. The statements made are usually so general that they would fit most people of a given generation. But the performer adds enough dialog to make it sound really personal and specific to the sitter."[12]
• The New York Times reported: "Fraser was a brilliant performer... It was a classic cold reading, all generalized notions searching for something slightly more specific to move [on] to."[6]
• Mentalist Mark Edward observed that: "[Fraser] goes to one end and stands just slightly in front of the row, leaning forward so he can see all their faces and body language. He states a standard fishing line such as he's 'getting an impression' of something... he brings up into view his pointing index finger and begins the process of generally pointing it at the row... scanning for a reaction."[7]

In March 2018, Fraser gave a reading to on-air personality Shannon Miller on WVIT in Connecticut. In 2019, Susan Gerbic reported on this reading for Skeptical Inquirer and summarized it as using both cold reading and hot reading techniques, including postulating that Fraser acquired information from Miller's Instagram account.[8][12] Gerbic summarized:

Fraser is one of those psychic mediums that throws out multiple statements in a row, sometimes framed as a statement sometimes as a question. Sometimes it is hard to tell what it is he is talking about. Throw out enough word salad and something will stick. If it doesn't work, then possibly it was for one of the persons sitting near you. Making general statements that could apply to many people and watching for a reaction, self-correcting as needed—this is called cold reading. It's a con-mans' skill-set and common tactic of grief vampires.[8]

Fraser at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, January 2018

The New York Times reporter Jack Hitt was embedded with a team of skeptics to observe what was called "Operation Peach Pit", a sting following a procedure similar to one previously used against Thomas John. In this case, the target was Fraser. According to Hitt, Fraser "resembles Tom Cruise in the role of an oversharing altar boy. He has been on the circuit for years, has a book under his belt and works some Doubletree or Crowne Plaza back room every two or three days".[6]

In January 2018, paranormal investigator Kenny Biddle and a group of five friends, using aliases matching the faked Facebook accounts, attended Fraser's show at the Valley Forge Casino in King of Prussia.[7][6] As Biddle reported in Skeptical Inquirer:

Although there was a lot of work put into this operation, none of my team members had a chance to get a reading... As we made our way out of the theater, we did get the opportunity to speak with Fraser after the show... My team and Fraser chatted about who we were and our various reasons for coming to the show. Fraser accepted our stories without a hint of doubt—even while I was constantly thinking in my head "Tell me I'm a making this up ... tell me you know we're here undercover." Alas, he did not.[7]

Biddle also reported, "I went into this experience... willing to see if there was anything truthful to the claims made by Matt Fraser... [but] he didn't seem to demonstrate any supernatural ability, just a knack for fast-talking his customers into believing he could talk to spirits."[7] The New York Times reported on this sting in the same article in which it reported on the successful Thomas John sting.[6]