6 Foolproof Ways to Avoid Psychic Scams

Unfortunately, there are scam artists for every profession, and for psychics, there are plenty. Word-of-mouth, ratings, and professional associations may tell you more about whether a psychic is legitimate or not. A psychic puts themselves out into the world as a professional and should conduct themselves as a professional. A professional has class. A professional has skills. A professional knows how to treat their customers. A professional doesn’t cheat or steal. To find the professionals in a world inhabited by both scammers and the real McCoys, use the following six ways to detect a fake psychic:

Your psychic should have basic skills. If your psychic asks you for your birthday but gets your astrology sign wrong, this is a red flag. Likewise, tarot card readers should have a basic knowledge of all of the cards, and those who read palms should know the difference between a life line and heart line. If your psychic doesn’t seem to know the basics, then chances are they’re not for real. Also, if they’re giving a group reading and everyone has the same fortune or has one of a handful of possible fortunes, your psychic is probably not psychic at all.

Your psychic should respect your religious beliefs or lack thereof. A psychic should never force you to believe in something you don‘t believe in. If you don’t believe in God, or ghosts, or in animal spirits, or curses, they shouldn’t push it on you. If they do, they’re likely trying to sell you a psychic bill of goods that rests on belief in one of those things.

The psychic shouldn’t be offended if you’re a little skeptic or dumbstruck. A psychic who gets angry at your honest skepticism or uncertainty is hiding something. Psychics deal with skepticism every day, and those who are legit will lay your doubts to rest, while those who aren‘t for real are afraid of being exposed. As long as you’re not mean about it, being doubtful or hesitant at first is normal. A real psychic will answer your questions about how they know something or what methods they use. A fake psychic will be angry that you questioned them. In that case, you’re not the one who needs to apologize.

If they tell you you’re cursed, grab your purse and leave. A popular and old scam used to bilk trusting clients is to tell them that they’re cursed and that they need to pay for a cleansing to have the curse removed. This cleansing is usually substantially more than the initial reading, and the curse isn’t removed when you pay. The psychic continues to get you to pay money, keeping the scam going, feeding off fear, until you won’t anymore.

If a psychic tells you that you’re cursed and it’s news to you, leave. If you’re cursed, you know you’re cursed. It won’t take you by surprise, and it won’t take a psychic telling you.

If they try to pull a bait-and-switch, don’t pay for the switch. Leave. Yes, the more work you ask a psychic to do, the more you have to pay. However, scam artists will lure you in with a substantially low price for something that seems too good to be true only to hit you up with a much higher price for a different product when you’re lured in.

This isn’t the same as an introductory price. An introductory price lets you try before you commit. A few dollars for just one question is an introductory price. A bait-and-switch is different. It’s offering one thing for a low price that one has no intention of offering in order to get people into your store or business to sell them something different at a much higher price. For example, a psychic tells you that for $10, they can do a past life reading for you, but when you meet, they tell you that they won’t do a past life reading, but that they will do a palm reading for $25 instead. Don’t be afraid to turn around and leave.

Vague promises or warnings are usually the sign of a scam. A psychic should be as forthright as possible about what they perceive while still being professional. If they see doom, they should let you know what it is and not tell you in such a way that you have a heart attack. Likewise, they shouldn’t tell you about something good coming your way without details and leave you chomping at the bit.

Even if the psychic doesn’t perceive all the details, they should disclose to you as much as they know. Clearly, if they see a big event in your life, they’ve seen some details that clue them in as to what sort of big event it is. If you keep asking for more and don’t get clarity, or don’t get it unless you make another appointment or pay more money for the answer, consider that big event a work of fiction invented in the mind of a scammer.