Psychic Scams - What to look out for!

There is real science dedicated to the study of ESP and mediums. One of the leaders is Dr. Gary Schwartz at the University of Arizona. To read about legitimate research involving Psychic studies check out their website. www.openmindsciences.com

But there are charlatans. Consider all psychic readings, first and foremost, as entertainment. They should be interesting and enjoyable, even exciting! They should never cause considerable sadness, worry, or distress. There are some basic things to watch out for when it comes to psychic scams. The initial things to watch for are:

1 - Free Free FREE? Keep a close eye on free psychic services. Free services are often used as a way to lure people into spending more and more money.

2 - Spam can = SCAM Chances are if you are contacted by a psychic or network without you initiating the contact, you may end up the victim of a scam. If you receive and unsolicited message from a psychic, the best policy is to delete it and forget about it.

3 - Mo' Money Mo' Money No psychic reading should cost more than $100 per hour. In truth it should be considerably less. If they need more money to reveal something critical, watch out. No reputable psychic leaves you hanging in an effort to weasel more money out of you. If a psychic explains that they need to do some sort of "work" for you to improve your love life, career, or to lift a curse, RUN don't walk from this individual. If you feel like you're being squeezed...you are.

Listen to your own psychic ability - your own intuition. If it seems even the slightest bit odd or you get any feeling that you are being manipulated... GET OUT. Nothing can replace your own sense of good judgment. Listen to your inner voice and pay attention and you won't be a victim. Remember to always maintain a bit of skepticism in any situation. It will help keep you and your money safe, and it will help distinguish the good psychics from the bad.

Read these scenarios to get a clear idea of what common psychic scams can sound like.

Scenario 1 - The "psychic" tells you that you have a curse/ negative energy/ a black aura and offers to remove the problem (for an extra fee of course, sometimes as high as $2500, or several payments of $70 to $500 each!) Reuniting love relationships is also a favorite for these con artists. They often use their practiced and superior knowledge of human nature to prey on your weakest areas. A sincere reader will explain to you how you can go about reversing a problem or negativity. Self-empowerment is the whole point of a reading.

Scenario 2 - The "psychic" tells you that an object you own (usually something expensive) is cursed or has negative energy that is preventing you from being happy, finding love, getting pregnant (hey, unnatural birth control!) having riches, etc. etc. They may offer to cleanse/ burn/ bury the object with an elaborate ritual. Of course they will have to do that later and without you, and will have to take it away (to the local pawn shop of cleansing!).

Scenario 3 - The "psychic" implies that you should not talk about the reading with your friends, as it will be "bad luck" or it will "jinx" you. This is usually for one of two reasons: either you will find out that you received the same reading as your friends, or the "psychic" fears that your friends will tell you that the reading was a scam. There are a few exceptions to this, such as when the reading was about your friends.

Scenario 4 - This one is tricky, as it can reveal either a very rare psychic talent, or a very practiced crook. The "psychic" practices "name dropping" by saying that they see someone with the letter T, M, J, etc. and as you say "Mike" so does the psychic. This makes it seem that they realized it just as you said it. However, these are among the most commonly used initials in the United States, and pulling a name out of thin air is a very rare psychic talent, so be alert if it happens, and check your feelings to see if you have been truly comfortable with the reader. Do you want to pay for the talents of your reader as a psychic, or as a predator?

Scenario 5 - You leave the reading feeling as if the "psychic" has some power or control over you, or may even "curse" you if you don't do as they have instructed or if you don't return within the time the reader specified. Did they do anything to make you feel this way? Reassess your feelings about the reader again.

If you believe you have been the victim of a psychic scam, contact your local police department and know that most psychics that run their operation out of a fancy store front usually pull these scams. Rent is expensive and they have to pay for it some how. Don't be a victim.