{{Infobox person , name = Bob Nygaard , image = File:Private Investigator Bob Nygaard.jpg , image_size = , caption = Nygaard in 2015 , birth_date = , birth_place =

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...

, U.S. , death_date = , death_place = , death_cause = , nationality = American , other_names = , known_for =

Psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...

investigations , education =

New York City Police Academy The New York City Police Academy is the police academy of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Within the organization of the New York City Police Department, the Chief of Training oversees the Training Bureau, which includes the Police Aca ...

, alma_mater =

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...

, employer = , occupation =

Police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

Private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

, website = Bob Nygaard is an American

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

(PI) specializing in the investigation of confidence crimes, most notably psychic fraud. He has been instrumental in the arrest and conviction of numerous psychics, helping their victims obtain justice including financial restitution amounting to millions of dollars. He has consulted for

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

and ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' as a specialist in psychic fraud. Nygaard previously was a member of the

New York City Transit Police The New York City Transit Police Department was a law enforcement agency in New York City that existed from 1953 (with the creation of the New York City Transit Authority) to 1995, and is currently part of the NYPD. The roots of this organizat ...

and Nassau County

Police Department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

, retiring from service in 2008. In 2018, Nygaard appeared as himself in episode "The Psychic Didn't See Him Coming" of the CBS true-crime show ''

Pink Collar Crimes ''Pink Collar Crimes'' is a true crime show that airs on CBS. The series focuses on real crimes committed by women and includes interviews with the suspects, victims, private investigators, police, and attorneys involved with the cases. Episodes ...

'', which portrays his investigations of the crimes committed by self-proclaimed psychic and convicted fraudster

Gina Marks Gina Marie Marks (born January 25, 1973) is an American psychic and convicted fraudster. Using the pseudonym of Regina Milbourne, she co-authored '' Miami Psychic: Confessions of a Confidante'', a memoir published by HarperCollins in 2006. In Au ...

. In 2021, Nygaard was featured in "The Psychic Con" episode of the ABC TV series '' The Con''. Nygaard is sympathetic to psychic fraud victims who, he says, law enforcement authorities often fail to take seriously. He is also an outspoken critic of the inconsistent prosecution of this type of crime across the United States, and advocates for prison terms for convicted psychics, rather than merely forced restitution to their victims. {{toclimit, limit=3

Early life

Nygaard was born in

, and raised in the

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

suburb of

New Hyde Park New Hyde Park is a village in the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the anchor community of the Greater New Hyde Park area. The population was 9,712 at the 2010 census. ...

. While in high school, he played on the varsity baseball, basketball, and lacrosse teams.{{R, MiamiNewTimes1 Intending to follow his father into business, Nygaard moved to

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

where he majored in

entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...

, and graduated in 1983. However, in 1985 he changed paths and enlisted in the

. {{R, MiamiNewTimes1

Law enforcement career

In 1985, after graduating from the

, Nygaard joined the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

as a

transit officer Transit police (also known as transport police, railway police, railroad police and several other terms) are specialized police agencies employed either by a common carrier (a transit district, railway, railroad, bus line, or any other mass tra ...

{{R, MiamiNewTimes1 working in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

.{{R, Skepticality1{{Rp, 22:00 In 1987, Nygaard moved from transit to street patrol in New York's Nassau County,{{R, Broward2 and in 1991 he was assigned to investigate home-improvement scams targeting the elderly. He arrested five men who were wanted for various confidence schemes, and this led to an interest in fraud cases.{{R, Atlantic1 He became knowledgeable in the intricacies of sweetheart swindles,

insurance fraud Insurance fraud is any act committed to defraud an insurance process. It occurs when a claimant attempts to obtain some benefit or advantage they are not entitled to, or when an insurer knowingly denies some benefit that is due. According to the ...

, and

psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...

{{R, Patheos1 while "bouncing between investigative squads and federal assignments with the

DEA The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

and

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

".{{R, Atlantic1 In 2007, Nygaard joined the National Association of

Bunco Bunco (also spelled bunko or bonko) is a dice game generally played with twelve or more players, divided into groups of four, trying to score points while taking turns rolling three dice in a series of six rounds. A bunco is achieved when a pe ...

Investigators, a

trade organization A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

for members of law enforcement and other related fields who specialize in the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of non-traditional

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

suspects.{{R, Atlantic1 Nygaard retired with a full

pension A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...

in 2008.{{R, MiamiNewTimes1{{R, Atlantic1

Private investigator career

After retiring from police work, Nygaard moved to

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, in 2008.{{R, Atlantic1 After his time on the police force, Nygaard said he just wanted to "sit out the rest of his days on the beach, lounging around

tiki bars A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a rom ...

". However, retirement did not suit Nygaard, and thus he registered as a

(PI).{{R, MiamiNewTimes1 Regarding working as a PI, Nygaard said, "I relished being able to finally wear clothes that reflected my own personal style, like

fedoras A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...

and

trench coats A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine, ...

. I had been restricted to wearing a police uniform for more than 20 years, and my personal style just coincidentally blended perfectly with my new life's work". Initially he took standard PI jobs such as investigating unclaimed money and cheating spouses.{{R, MiamiNewTimes1{{R, Guardian1

Transition to psychic fraud work

An incident in late 2008 at a neighborhood bar set Nygaard on the career path of investigating

scams A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have def ...

.{{R, MiamiNewTimes1{{R, Guardian1 At a happy hour, Nygaard met two women in the medical profession and regaled them with stories about how he had outsmarted con artists and helped their victims. Shortly after leaving the bar, one of the women – a doctor – called him requesting a meeting alone. She was embarrassed, but revealed she had been scammed by a local psychic named Gina Marie Marks,{{R, MiamiNewTimes1{{R, Patheos1 a well-known Florida fortune-teller with a recently published pseudonymous memoir '' Miami Psychic: Confessions of a Confidante.''{{R, Atlantic1 Nygaard took the case and investigated Marks, ultimately uncovering five other victims of Marks who had been defrauded of a total of $65,000. Despite having gathered this evidence, the authorities refused to press charges against Marks after she agreed to return all the money to the group of victims Nygaard had uncovered. The authorities felt that was enough,{{R, Patheos1 but Nygaard disagreed: {{blockquote, text=It's a revolving door of justice where these people get in trouble, and they try to pay people off – usually pennies on the dollar, but in this case it was the full amount ... And then they never have a conviction on their record and they just go out and do the same thing., {{R, Patheos1 The coverage of the Marks case led to more requests for help, which in turn led to more media coverage and additional cases.{{R, Atlantic1

Television appearances

ABC News and ''20/20''

In April 2014,

did a segment on a South Florida psychic fraud case, and interviewed Nygaard. He was later hired as a consultant for segments on scammers. That led to a ''

'' piece featuring Nygaard's work, which was a " ratings

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

, with an estimated 8.2 million viewers". Nygaard said that as a result, "My phone started lighting up, and it hasn't stopped since".{{R, Broward1

''Dr. Oz: The Prevalence of Fake Psychics''

On May 7, 2018, Nygaard and one of his clients (Priti Mahalanobis) appeared on the Dr. Oz television show to discuss the way in which Ms. Mahalanobis had been scammed out of $136,000 by a fake psychic in Orlando named Peaches Stevens.{{R, DrOz{{R, SI1

''Pink Collar Crimes''

On August 11, 2018,

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

first aired episode 3 of season 1 of its show ''

'', titled "The Psychic Didn't See Him Coming". The episode tells the story of Gina Marie Marks and of Nygaard's investigation of her crimes over a period of 10 years, from 2008 to 2018. Nygaard played himself on the show.{{R, TVGuide{{R, MSNPink

''The Con''

On March 17, 2021, ABC TV aired episode 6 of season 1 of '' The Con'', "The Psychic Con"{{R, DGE which interviews Nygaard and mentalist

Mark Edward Mark Edward (born Mark Edward Wilson, May 19, 1951) is an American mentalist and author. He has written books on mentalism, séance theory and production, including '' Psychic Blues'' published in 2009, where he discusses working for the Psychi ...

throughout the episode while telling the stories of three of Nygaard's clients.{{R, laughingplace Each woman became emotionally dependent on their psychic and were defrauded out of tens of thousands of dollars, but then sought the help of Nygaard to obtain justice.{{R, discusspw

Notable psychic fraud cases

The scale of the psychic fraud problem is tremendous. Nygaard says he is familiar with a Florida case in which a woman claimed to have been defrauded of $17 million by fortune-tellers,{{R, RDigest1 and he personally has worked a case where his client was defrauded of $900,000.{{R, WTOP1 A

Skeptical Inquirer ''Skeptical Inquirer'' is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: ''The Magazine for Science and Reason''. Mission statement and goals Daniel Loxton, writing in ...

article reports that, as of February 2020, Nygaard had "helped to cause approximately forty self-proclaimed psychics to be arrested and successfully convicted" and had helped victims recover in excess of $4 million. Regarding the recovery amount, Nygaard said that the $4 million reflects what his clients have actually recovered as a result of his efforts. The criminal restitution orders, he says, were for much more. However victims are largely unable to collect on such orders given that self-proclaimed psychics rarely keep any assets in their own names.{{R, SI3 Nygaard has been involved with a number of notable cases, including the following: {{Anchor, PeachesStevens

Priscilla Kelly Delmaro

In 2015, on behalf of his client from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Nygaard led police to Priscilla Kelly Delmaro, who had defrauded his client of over $700,000. Delmaro had convinced her client that he and a woman named Michelle were "twin flames kept apart by negativity", and she could bring them together. After the victim learned Michelle had died, Delmaro said she would reincarnate her in another woman's body.{{R, Independent1{{R, Wilson Over Nygaard's objection, Delmaro was offered a

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...

including a sentence of less than one year, with no requirement to pay restitution.{{R, NYPost1 Nygaard called the outcome a "travesty" that will encourage what he says is a booming nationwide trade in psychic scams.{{R, LATimes1

Gina Marie Marks

{{Main, Gina Marks GINA MARIE MARKS AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

In 2016, Gina Marie Marks, using the pseudonym Natalie Miller, convinced a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

woman that she had bad energy around her which she could fix. When Marks stopped answering the victim's phone calls after being paid $82,000 over many months, the woman realized she was being scammed and called the police and Nygaard. An

arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a j ...

was issued, but Marks had fled. Nygaard tracked her to

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most co ...

, and contacted the police, who took her into custody just before she boarded a flight to

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

.{{R, ABC10-1 Nygaard said, "I saw her come in with her husband and then I followed her through the TSA line, went in (and) followed them to the gate just about 15 to 20 minutes prior to her boarding the plane and heading to Europe". For Nygaard, this was a repeat run-in with Marks; he was instrumental in two previous convictions in

Broward County Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 ...

when Marks was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2010, and forced to repay more than half a million dollars to her victims.{{R, ABC10-1{{R, NBCWash1 In 2018, Marks was convicted of stealing more than $340,000 from five victims over three years. In September 2018, Marks was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to her victims, with the judge stating that Marks' actions were premeditated and she preyed on vulnerable people.{{R, NBCWash2{{R, WashPost1 In 2018,

aired an episode of its show ''Pink Collar Crimes'' documenting Marks' criminal activities and her pursuit by Nygaard.{{R, TVGuide{{R, MSNPink

Melissa Lee

In 2017, Melissa Lee of

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is locate ...

, was charged with felony grand theft for defrauding her clients of over $100,000. She was arrested after Nygaard tracked down the psychic on behalf of a young actress who alleged that the psychic had fraudulently taken $32,000.{{R, ABC7-1

Linda Marks

In 2017, a woman from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

reported that she was defrauded by Linda Marks, who was operating a fortunetelling business north of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, when the psychic claimed to be helping her with " spiritual cleansing and destroying evil energy". Eventually, suspecting a con, the woman enlisted the help of Nygaard, who said his client had paid Marks over $50,000 over many months.

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

police met with Nygaard and Seattle police, and started gathering details on Marks. Nygaard located Marks, leading to her arrest in Mount Vernon on charges of first-degree theft by deception; she was initially held on a $75,000

bail bond Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required. In some countries ...

. A decade earlier, Marks had defrauded victims in South Florida of more than $2 million. In May 2006, Marks was convicted in

U.S. District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, but had been freed from Florida prison in 2008.{{R, SunSentinel1

Sherry Tina Uwanawich

On September 6, 2019, Sherry Tina Uwanawich (aka Jacklyn Miller), a self-proclaimed "Gypsy healer", was sentenced to 40 months of incarceration by a U.S. District Judge in Florida, and ordered to pay restitution to Nygaard's client.{{R, Banks{{R, USDOJ Uwanawich said she grew up in the "Roma culture", and the women in her family all made money in fortune-telling "at the behest of the men". She had worked at low-income locations until 17 years old, when she encountered Nygaard's client, who was then 27-year-old, at the Galleria in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

in 2007. Uwanawich gained her trust, eventually convincing her that a witch had placed a curse on her family. Uwanawich then claimed she needed large sums of money in order to lift that curse, before harm befell her and her family. The relationship between Uwanawich and her victim continued for seven years, even after Uwanawich moved to Florida. In total, through 2014, the victim turned over approximately $1.6 million to Uwanawich.{{R, Banks The victim, a Brazilian medical student who was suffering from depression,{{R, Mirror turned over money to Uwanawich, which came from numerous sources, including job earnings, loan money, money borrowed from friends and family, and hundreds-of-thousands of dollars from an inheritance. The victim also paid for the psychic's services with clothing, gift cards, and a leased automobile.{{R, Banks Following sentencing, Nygaard said: {{Blockquote, text=I'm really proud of y clientfor being brave and seeking justice instead of suffering in silence as many victims often do... If there's one thing that I've learned from years of specializing in investigating confidence crimes it's that anyone can be scammed by a professional con artist when going through a vulnerable time in his or her life.{{R, Banks

Concerns over inconsistent fraud prosecution

Nygaard says that when people report to law enforcement that they are victims of psychic fraud, they are often told that it is a civil matter, and are turned away. He says that he tries to bring the case to law enforcement "wrapped in a bow", saying, "Listen, when this person first came in, you told them it was a civil matter ... You know what? I know differently. It's a criminal matter".{{R, ABCNews1 But despite his success with high-profile convictions, Nygaard says he still often encounters resistance by law enforcement when he presents them with the evidence of psychic fraud.{{R, ABCNews1 "I would like to say that things have changed, but it's like every time I walk into a new place, you're talking to a new detective or prosecutor ... Some have learned about it; a lot haven't. You still see this attitude that, 'They did it on their own free will — there's no crime here.'"{{R, Broward1{{R, LATimes1 Nygaard says that while the

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

and the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

prosecutor's office are generally supportive, the situation in South and Central Florida is very different. "I've had these criminals call me up and tell me Florida is open season for them — they love it. They laugh about it because the prosecutors don't prosecute."{{R, Broward2

Comments on psychics and victims

As a result of his work, Nygaard has been an outspoken critic of psychics and

mediums Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or spir ...

who take advantage of desperate people. Nygaard says that these con-artists are experts at

psychological manipulation Manipulation in psychology is a behavior designed to exploit, control, or otherwise influence others to one’s advantage. Definitions for the term vary in which behavior is specifically included, influenced by both culture and whether referring t ...

and that nationwide, this fraud amounts to "billions of dollars". He says that "no other victims are more maligned than victims of psychic fraud", and that victims are often so embarrassed at being swindled that they do not report the crime, despite being broken emotionally and facing financial disaster. "They don't want to see their name in the papers". Nygaard says that psychics anticipate and use this. He says it doesn't matter if the victim is a

college professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

, a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

or a

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

. "You're on their territory. And he psychicsknow how to take advantage of that."{{R, Patheos1{{R, ABCNews1 Nygaard categorizes much of this type of fraud as

, and says "It's been going on for centuries and is passed down from generation to generation. The mothers teach their daughters." He says that storefront psychics appear to be financially struggling, but actually live in upscale houses and may "drive a

Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...

".{{R, WPTV1

Support of organized skepticism

Beginning in 2018, Nygaard began interacting with the

skeptical movement Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence. In practice, the term most commonly refe ...

. His first interaction was as the featured guest on the ''Skepticality'' podcast where he was interviewed by

Derek Colanduno Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler". Common variants of the name are ...

. Regarding this Nygaard said, "I'm so happy that Derek contacted me because he opened the door, so to speak, to a whole new group of like-minded people..." This led to Nygaard's invitation to speak at

DragonCon Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon) is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. , the convention draws attendance of over 80,000, fe ...

as part of the convention's Skeptic Track, of which he said "Realizing what a great opportunity it would be to help spread the word about psychic fraud, I immediately jumped at the chance to participate." Besides participating in the Skeptic Track, Nygaard participated in several panels on the main conference agenda including "The Science of

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

" and "

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

Spy Class". Nygaard also spoke at the same convention in 2019, doing a one-hour solo presentation titled "Combating Psychic Fraud".{{R, SI3

Beliefs

When asked his opinion on anyone actually having psychic powers, Nygaard said, "Listen, no one has ever proved that they have psychic abilities since the beginning of time. And

James Randi James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Rodrigues 2010p. ...

, from the James Randi Foundation, he put up a $1 million challenge to any psychic who could prove their abilities. No one has ever collected."{{R, Patheos1

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite web, last1=McAfee , first1=David G., title=This Ex-Cop Has Locked Up 28 'Psychic' Scammers, Returned $3.2M to Victims, url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nosacredcows/2017/08/ex-cop-psychic-scammers/, website=Patheos, access-date=23 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126035505/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nosacredcows/2017/08/ex-cop-psychic-scammers/, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=21 August 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Lopez, first1=Edward T., last2=Pry, first2=Alyssa, last3=Riegger, first3=Prymollie, title=Private Investigator Helped Recover Over $2M for Psychic Fraud Victims, url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/private-investigator-helped-recover-2m-psychic-fraud-victims/story?id=23348889, website=ABC News, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126034539/https://abcnews.go.com/US/private-investigator-helped-recover-2m-psychic-fraud-victims/story?id=23348889, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=17 April 2014, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Mahdawi, first1=Arwa, title=Stranger than pulp fiction: meet Bob Nygaard, America's psychic-crime fighter, url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/12/bob-nygaard-private-investigator-psychic-fraud, website=The Guardian, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126035314/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/12/bob-nygaard-private-investigator-psychic-fraud, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=12 February 2015, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Swenson, first1=Kyle, title=Bob Nygaard, Boca Raton PI Specializing in Psychic Scammers, Lands ABC News Gig, url=http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/bob-nygaard-boca-raton-pi-specializing-in-psychic-scammers-lands-abc-news-gig-6445180, website=Broward Palm Beach New Times, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228130614/http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/bob-nygaard-boca-raton-pi-specializing-in-psychic-scammers-lands-abc-news-gig-6445180, archive-date=28 December 2015, date=24 June 2014, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Swenson, first1=Kyle, title=How Modern Fortunetellers Pull Off Their Scams, url=http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/how-modern-fortunetellers-pull-off-their-scams-6352098, website=Broward Palm Beach New Times, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222195134/http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/how-modern-fortunetellers-pull-off-their-scams-6352098, archive-date=22 February 2018, date=6 June 2013, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Rosenow, first1=Martin, title=Psychic Scams Steal Millions From Unwitting Victims, url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/bob-nygaard-helps-psychic-scam-victims-9397958, website=Miami New Times, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126040018/http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/bob-nygaard-helps-psychic-scam-victims-9397958, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=6 June 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Entin, first1=Brian, title=Bob Nygaard: Boca Raton private investigator says south Florida is a hotbed for fake fortune tellers, url=https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/a-boca-raton-private-investigator-says-south-florida-is-a-hotbed-for-fake-fortune-tellers, publisher=WPTV, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414094952/https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/a-boca-raton-private-investigator-says-south-florida-is-a-hotbed-for-fake-fortune-tellers, archive-date=14 April 2016, date=23 July 2013, url-status=dead {{cite web, last1=Susman, first1=Tina, title=Heartbroken man spends more than $700,000 on psychics, chasing after lover, url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-la-man-fortune-teller-20151118-story.html, website=Los Angeles Times, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126035045/http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-la-man-fortune-teller-20151118-story.html, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=18 November 2015, url-status=live {{cite web, title=Fortunetelling/Psychic Fraud , url=https://secure-hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/7/4/c/74c2a4dc3612925d/288_Skepticality.mp3?c_id=18704277&expiration=1519339154&hwt=2b68162cd44fc49285acbf5162b6eb65, website=Skepticality, access-date=22 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222210619/https://secure-hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/7/4/c/74c2a4dc3612925d/288_Skepticality.mp3?c_id=18704277&expiration=1519339154&hwt=2b68162cd44fc49285acbf5162b6eb65, archive-date=22 February 2018, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Uliano, first1=Dick, title=Police: Psychic cheats local woman of $77,000, fails to foresee arrest, url=https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/10/police-psychic-who-cheated-local-woman-of-77000-fails-to-foresee-arrest/slide/1/, website=wtop.com, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725131357/https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/10/police-psychic-who-cheated-local-woman-of-77000-fails-to-foresee-arrest/slide/1/, archive-date=25 July 2016, date=3 October 2015, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Fitzgerald, first1=Meagan, title='Psychic' Accused of Swindling Maryland Woman Out of $82,000, url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Psychic-Swindles-Maryland-Woman-Out-of-82000-443812333.html, work=NBC, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210230625/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Psychic-Swindles-Maryland-Woman-Out-of-82000-443812333.html, archive-date=10 February 2018, date=11 September 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=George-Parkin, first1=Hilary, title=When Is Fortune-Telling a Crime?, url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/when-is-fortunetelling-a-crime/382738/, website=The Atlantic, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://archive.today/20141116141758/http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/when-is-fortunetelling-a-crime/382738/, archive-date=16 November 2014, date=14 November 2014, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Sutherland, first1=Amber, last2=Rosenberg, first2=Rebecca, title=Phony psychic sent to jail for stealing $700K from lovelorn man, url=https://nypost.com/2015/11/17/phony-psychic-sent-to-jail-for-stealing-700k-from-lovelorn-man/, website=NY Post, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224061712/https://nypost.com/2015/11/17/phony-psychic-sent-to-jail-for-stealing-700k-from-lovelorn-man/, archive-date=24 February 2018, date=17 November 2015, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Leyva, first1=Ellen, last2=Bartley, first2=Lisa, title=ABC7 investigation: Self-proclaimed psychics bilk thousands from vulnerable clients, url=http://abc7.com/news/self-proclaimed-psychics-bilk-thousands-from-clients/1954924/, website=ABC News, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224065440/http://abc7.com/news/self-proclaimed-psychics-bilk-thousands-from-clients/1954924/, archive-date=24 February 2018, date=4 May 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Tufft, first1=Ben, title=Fortune teller 'scams lovesick man out of $700,000', url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/man-pays-more-than-700000-to-fortuneteller-in-vain-attempt-to-secure-love-10303426.html, website=Independent, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309205736/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/man-pays-more-than-700000-to-fortuneteller-in-vain-attempt-to-secure-love-10303426.html, archive-date=9 March 2016, date=7 June 2015, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Baitinger, first1=Brooke, title='Psychic' who once defrauded South Floridians now faces charges in Washington state, url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-fortuneteller-fraud-arrest-20171031-story.html, website=Sun Sentinel, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224173755/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-fortuneteller-fraud-arrest-20171031-story.html, archive-date=24 February 2018, date=1 November 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Norman, first1=Bob, title=So-called psychic arrested at Miami International Airport on grand theft charge, url=https://www.local10.com/news/crime/so-called-psychic-arrested-at-miami-international-airport-on-grand-theft-charge, publisher=ABC Local 10, access-date=24 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126040517/https://www.local10.com/news/crime/so-called-psychic-arrested-at-miami-international-airport-on-grand-theft-charge, archive-date=26 January 2018, date=1 September 2017, url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Powell, first1=Robert Andrew, title=The Psychic, The Novelist, and the $17 Million Scam, url=https://www.rd.com/culture/psychic-scams-novelist-17-million/, website=Reader's Digest, date=18 February 2014 , access-date=25 February 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225172412/https://www.rd.com/culture/psychic-scams-novelist-17-million/, archive-date=25 February 2018, url-status=live {{cite web , title=The Psychic Didn't See Him Coming , url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/pink-collar-crimes/episode-3-season-1/the-psychic-didnt-see-him-coming/1213292/ , website=TV Guide , access-date=11 August 2018 , url-status=live, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811155716/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/pink-collar-crimes/episode-3-season-1/the-psychic-didnt-see-him-coming/1213292/ , archive-date=2018-08-11 {{cite web , title=Pink Collar Crimes – The Tip Of The Iceberg , url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/food/pink-collar-crimes-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/vp-BBLPyFW , website=MSN.com , publisher=MSN , access-date=12 August 2018 {{cite web , title=The Prevalence of Fake Psychics , url=https://www.doctoroz.com/episode/oz-investigates-it-time-eat-red-meat-again?video_id=5781298584001 , website=doctoroz.com , date=5 May 2018 , publisher=Oz Media LLC , access-date=15 December 2018 {{cite web , last1=Palmer , first1=Rob , title=Introducing Psychic-Busting Private Eye Bob Nygaard (Part 1) , url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/introducing-psychic-busting-private-eye-bob-nygaard-part-1/ , website=Skeptical Inquirer , date=15 August 2018 , publisher=Center for Inquiry , access-date=23 August 2018 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823204858/https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/introducing_psychic-busting_private_eye_bob_nygaard_part_1 , archive-date=23 August 2018, url-status=live {{cite web , last1=Stone , first1=Shomari , last2=Cook , first2=Gina , title=Montgomery County 'Psychic' Sentenced to 6 Years for Scamming Clients , url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Maryland-Psychic-Sentenced-to-6-Years-for-Scamming-Clients-494014731.html , website=nbcwashington.com , publisher=NBC , access-date=25 September 2018, date=24 September 2018 {{cite news , last1=Morse , first1=Dan , title='Just outrageous:' Maryland psychic cons $341,000 from five clients , url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/just-outrageous-maryland-psychic-cons-340000-from-five-clients/2018/09/24/6effcc7c-be7c-11e8-be70-52bd11fe18af_story.html?noredirect=on , newspaper=Washington Post , access-date=25 September 2018 , date=24 September 2018 {{cite web , last1=Wilson , first1=Michael , title=Man Who Gave Psychics $718,000 'Just Got Sucked In' , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/nyregion/lured-in-by-two-manhattan-psychics-to-the-tune-of-718000.html?action=click&module=inline&pgtype=Article , website=

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, access-date=27 February 2019 , date=15 November 2015 {{cite web , last1=Banks , first1=Gabrielle , title='Psychic' gets federal prison time after swindling Houston woman of $1.6M , url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Psychic-gets-federal-prison-time-after-14425923.php , website=Houstonchronicle.com , publisher=Houston Chronicle , access-date=13 September 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912083117/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Psychic-gets-federal-prison-time-after-14425923.php , archive-date=12 September 2019 , date=9 September 2019, url-status=live {{cite web , title=South Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay $1.6 Million in Restitution for "Fortune Telling" Fraud Scheme , url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/south-florida-woman-sentenced-prison-and-ordered-pay-16-million-restitution-fortune , website=Justice.gov , publisher=US Dept. of Justice , access-date=13 September 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912083126/https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/south-florida-woman-sentenced-prison-and-ordered-pay-16-million-restitution-fortune , archive-date=12 September 2019 , date=9 September 2019, url-status=live {{cite web , last1=Burke , first1=Dave , title='Fortune teller' took £1.3m from depressed student to 'remove curse' from dead mum , url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/fortune-teller-who-took-13m-20010116 , website=Mirror.co.uk , publisher=The Mirror , url-status=live, access-date=13 September 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911214730/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/fortune-teller-who-took-13m-20010116 , archive-date=11 September 2019 , date=11 September 2019 {{cite web , last1=Palmer , first1=Rob , title=A Psychic Fraud Investigator Weighs In On The Goop Lab , url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-psychic-fraud-investigator-weighs-in-on-the-goop-lab/ , website=skepticalinquirer.org , publisher=CFI , access-date=28 June 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218014735/https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-psychic-fraud-investigator-weighs-in-on-the-goop-lab/ , archive-date=18 February 2020 , date=17 February 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=The Latest Episode of "The Con" Looks at Psychics on March 17 , url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2021/03/12/the-latest-episode-of-the-con-looks-at-psychics-on-march-17/ , website=laughingplace.com , publisher=Laughing Place Disney Newsdesk , access-date=19 March 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319054405/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2021/03/12/the-latest-episode-of-the-con-looks-at-psychics-on-march-17/ , archive-date=19 March 2021 , date=12 March 2021 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=ABC: "The Psychic Con" Preview, March 17 2021 , url=https://www.discusspw.com/event/abc-psychic-con-preview-march-17-2021/ , website=discusspw.com , date=15 March 2021 , publisher=Discuss PW , access-date=19 March 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319054529/https://www.discusspw.com/event/abc-psychic-con-preview-march-17-2021/ , archive-date=19 March 2021 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=The Con , url=https://www.dgepress.com/abc/shows/the-con/photos/ , website=dgepress.com , publisher=Disney General Entertainment , access-date=19 March 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319062359/https://www.dgepress.com/abc/shows/the-con/photos/ , archive-date=19 March 2021 , url-status=live

External links

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About Me
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