Dude RUN! Brian Harnois, still Scamming Fans

It seems when failed paranormal personalities try put on events or attempt to do things out of their range of expertise, not only do they fail miserably, they hurt their fans, damage the paranormal community and cause further mistrust of anyone in a “Paranormal Group”.

In the news lately, Paranormal State members have been putting on so called “Screenings” and “Field Trips” only to owe fans and venues huge amounts of money from no-shows, broken promises and less than expected at these so called events. States Attorney Generals have been called and as soon as criminal charges are about to be filed, members claim that they have terminal cancer and illnesses.

The same song and dance was told to fans when asked why one Ghost Hunters cast member left the show, crying wolf that they had cancer and could not fulfill contact duties, and every time one looks at Facebook there is yet another unprofessional, ill trained group of people that try to put together some kind of celebrity event.

Now it’s Brian’s turn again to cry wolf of mental illness and computer problems  accused of keeping fans monies and breaking contractual obligations.

Taken from an Examiner Article: Former “Ghost Hunters” star Brian Harnois is under attack from fans today. The paranormal investigator is being accused of stealing money from some of his supporters. Last year the ghost hunter allegedly faked a suicide attempt to get back into the infrared spotlight. Currently he is on tour and featured at various ghost hunting events.

Harnois is no stranger to modern drama. During his three-season stint on “Ghost Hunters” he was the show’s drama king and a fan-favorite. Nearly every one of the 36 episodes Harnois was in, it seemed he was at the center of some sort of chaos.

Sunday, December 9, 2012, Harnois wrote and posted a cryptic message on his Facebook page that some people believed was a suicide note. His wife, Michelle Harnois filed a missing person report the same day with the Warwick Police Department after not seeing him for a few days. Harnois was found safe the following day.

“I do not know the details but Brian has been found safe and is currently on his way to get mental treatment.” Michelle Harnois said in a post about the incident on her Twitter page.

A lot of people in the paranormal community believe that Harnois staged the incident to get attention and build buzz for a comeback. He even lashed out at some fans regarding his December disappearance.

Earlier this year, Harnois announced his “Dude, Run! Tour” and some fans that have supported him in this venture are allegedly getting ripped off. A few of them have tried to reach out to him on his various Facebook accounts but he either ignores them, censors their comments, or insults them.

Fans that have paid Harnois for items still have yet to receive them. One fan, Cheryl Baricko even accused him of stealing her payment and claimed that he refused issuing a refund for an upcoming event.

“Man up and stop removing posts that show the truth. My husband posted where you posted anyone can get a refund if they cancel with in seven days before the event,” Baricko posted on Harnois’ Facebook page.

“Everyone I owe T-shirts, DVD’s, or 8 x 10s to will be getting them this week or the following week. I’ve had a very big problem with getting everyone’s information together because of lack of a computer and misinformation.” Harnois attempted to do some damage control by posting an excuse on his Facebook fan page.

“So if anyone thinks he is a nice guy, he is a thief. Check RI court records. He has a world of court trouble coming this week for ripping people off and most likely will be arrested again.” According to Bericko, this isn’t the first time Harnois has stolen from fans.

On April 3, 2013, the Warwick Police Department issued a bench warrant  for Harnois regarding an alleged theft in 2012. Some folks think that Harnois is using the money from fans to pay the rest of his overdue court costs.

Harnois’ paranormal comeback might be short-lived if he keeps continuing to treat his fans bad. Jenn Mitchell, one of Harnois’ public relations representatives recently jumped ship because she was allegedly being mistreated. Soon his fans might just do the same.

If allegations are true, people need to beware of Brian Harnois and his company B Ware Productions. Dude and dudettes, run! Definitely.

So how do fans keep from getting scammed? Here are some guidelines to keep not only your money safe but your self safe as well.

Only Attend Reputable and Professional Events

Stick with the professionals, they have time honored reputations and work closely with the celebrities. The big three are , Ghost Hunt Weekends, Ideal Event Management and Strange Escapes Events. Stray too far from these guys and you are taking a dice roll with your personal safety and hard earned money.

Ask for the Certificate of Insurance

The big three carry Insurance for your safety, if you are attending any kind of event, make sure they are insured. Amateur ghost hunt groups that put on ghost hunts for money should be spending some of that money for insurance, if they don’t have insurance DON’T ATTEND THE EVENT! Get their insurance providers name and give them a call to verify the policy.

Buyer Beware

Does the event accept all forms of Credit Cards as well as PayPal?  This is one way to find out if the event organisers are a real company or somebody wanting some quick cash. The PayPal account should be a business name not under some persons name, also if the company accepts credit cards, they have a merchant account which has to be verified by the bank and has a fee associated with it. If an event asks for checks to be mailed in, stay away, there is no way to do a reverse of charges or dispute if there are any problems.

Look For a Professional Website

The company putting on the event only has a Facebook Page or a free template website provided by GoDaddy or Wix? You better check in to that a little closer. Big professional websites cost thousands of dollars to develop and maintain. Keep that in mind, if they can’t afford a professional website, how can they afford the insurance and to make sure the event is successful?

Toll-Free Tell-Tales

Another sign of a professional company, is if the have a Toll-Free number versus some phone number that goes to a cell phone or some Google Voice account. If they don’t have a real office, then they are most likely fly-by-night.

Do your homework, check into the companies and you can enjoy a professional event and really get your money’s worth meeting the celebrities, and taking home memories for a lifetime.

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