There are many good, ethical psychics in the world. Unfortunately, there are also many unethical people who will fake psychic powers and many psychics who do not have a strong code of ethics. So how can you spot a fake psychic? These unethical “psychics” will:
Ask too many or leading questions
Every good psychic will ask some questions, but they will be the type of questions that will help you narrow down what you are looking for from them. Fake psychics will ask many leading questions, often trying to elicit information from you to feed back to you later. Questions like “Did you recently lose someone?” or statements like “I am sensing someone in your life related to the letter s” are major red flags.
Give vague statements instead of solid advice
The purpose of visiting a psychic should be to get advice about your life. You should be looking for “actionable” items, that is, things you can do to improve your future. If someone is giving you vague generalities, or statements that contradict themselves (“You thrive in groups, but sometimes want time for yourself”, for example) this can be a sign that they are not a real psychic.
Make statements that encourage you to return quickly
Most professional psychics have some sort of code of ethics that directs them to prevent client dependency. Psychics who make statements like “We will need several sessions to sort this out” or who will try to draw you into longer readings by making some statements like “This will need a longer reading to figure out” may be trying to pad out their billing. Most good, ethical psychics will always agree to the type and length of reading up front.
Offer unsolicited advice to strangers
One approach many con artists use is to approach a likely-looking subject and make a broad statement about their life. These statements are invariably designed to trick the target into paying for a reading (or spell, or similar service) the target doesn’t need. While some good, professional psychics may feel the need to pass messages they receive to people they meet, they will do so in such a way that the message is complete in and of itself. It should never be used as an attempt to sell something else.
Use fear tactics or tell you what you want to hear
These two tactics are opposite sides of the same coin. Using fear tactics, telling the client everything they don’t want to hear, plays into making the target depend upon the psychic. Many times this is intended to make the target afraid of not returning to the psychic. On the other side of the coin, telling the target everything they want to hear is intended to create the feeling that the psychic is right about everything – after all, didn’t they tell you what you thought was right? Both of these tactics are used by people who pretend to be psychic in order to trick people out of their money. A good, ethical psychic will always tell the truth to their clients – both the good and bad – as well as how to deal with these truths.
Claim to exert power over fate, or claim the future is 100% certain
People who claim they can change the outcome of a person’s life, or predict the future with 100% certainty, are either acting fraudulently or delusionally. Everyone is in charge of their own future. A good, ethical psychic will help their clients guide their own path.
Make extreme claims about past lives (yours or theirs)
There are those who claim to have had very famous past lives. Unfortunately, most of these claims are either incorrect or fabricated. Some people make these claims about themselves to make themselves feel better, some do so to enhance their reputation. Some psychics also claim their clients have had famous past lives. Again, these are usually intended to make the clients dependent on the psychic for more information. Sometimes, past lives are also used as a way to make the client feel better about themselves.
Require you to pay to pray for you or lift a curse
This is a tricky one. Sometimes, legitimate, good, ethical psychics will also sell magic spells, charms, amulets, and the like. Some will even sell spells that are designed to break curses or bring luck. But a good, ethical psychic will also be willing to teach you alternatives to their spell work. Manipulative ones will suggest (if not outright state) that they are the only ones who can help you.
Ask for your personal information like your social security number, driver’s license number, bank account number, or passwords
The only time you should give personal information to a psychic is when it is required to make a payment. This is generally limited to your name, credit card number, and zip code. Most psychics who work on the internet will also need your phone number and/or email address to contact you. If you are using a service like Keen or Kasamba, you should only use that site’s payment system. People claiming to be psychics who press for this information like bank account numbers and social security numbers are invariably con artists, looking to drain bank accounts or steal identities.
Claim there is a curse or dark energy around you or your loved ones
This is by far one of the most common scams run by people pretending to be psychics. Often combined with fear tactics and paying for spells, the intent is to make you utterly dependent on the con artist. They will use your fear of the curse or dark energy to convince you to get “deep” (read: expensive) readings or to sell you spells and charms that will only partially work, always leading to the sale of an even “stronger” (read: more expensive) “solution” to the “problem”. A good, ethical psychic will work with the client to improve their lives and will make it a point to help the client take control of their own life.
Conclusion
Sadly, there are many people out there who will take advantage of a low point in someone’s life to make a profit. The truly unscrupulous will find a person’s weakness and use it against them. A good, ethical psychic, like Raven, will instead help these people to retake control over their own lives.