5 Places That You Should Never Hire A Psychic From

This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Jo Ellis

5 Places That You Should Never Hire A Psychic From

There has never been a better time to hire a psychic. Interest in spiritual guidance beyond religion is booming. People are tapping into ancient wisdom because they lack fulfillment from the material world alone.

However, buyer beware is a key message to keep in mind. Con artists and crime rings masquerading as psychics are becoming more sophisticated. Their goal is to swindle people out of as much money as they can.

The fraud can be devastating. Bestselling romance writer Judy Deveraux became suicidal after losing close to $20 million in a fortune-telling scam. Fake psychic Rosa Marks convinced her to sell all of her assets and isolate herself from her friends.

We aim to protect you from these scammers. One way to protect yourself is to avoid hiring from places where fraudulent psychics operate. In this article, we'll cover five places that you should never hire a psychic from.

Facebook

Facebook is rife with scams. In fact, the company removes billions of fake accounts every year. Here are some of the methods scammers use interest in the spiritual realm to operate on Facebook.

Con artists create fake accounts featuring invented personas. They also create fake accounts pretending to be legitimate psychics. In this case, the accounts feature the photos and content of the real psychic.

The scammer sends friend requests to fans of the real psychic and messages them to sell fake readings. They may also ask for your bank details.

Another common scam is a psychic cash giveaway that people have to register to enter. When they enter, they are required to set a password. Some people use the same password for multiple platforms, so this gives the scammer access to their other accounts.

Of course, there are also legitimate psychics on Facebook. It's a great place to follow psychics and see what they're up to. But don't do business with them on Facebook, as the account could be fake or hacked.

Craigslist

Did you know that many of the ads posted on Craigslist are fake? Scammers pose as genuine sellers, and may even copy details from real ads so they appear legitimate. Con artists pretending to be psychics lure people in by offering low-price and free introductory readings.

Psychic scammers sometimes claim that the transaction is officially certified by Craigslist or protected by a third party. These claims are false. Most online escrow sites are fraudulent and operated by criminals.

Psychic scammers on Craigslist also ask people to wire money via services like Western Union or MoneyGram. They also try to obtain personal and financial information, like your bank account details, social security number, and address.

Unsolicited Email

If an email appears in your inbox promising good fortune, it's a scam. Psychic email scammers also promise to remove bad luck, negativity, or curses.

They offer solutions like winning lottery numbers, talismans, or ongoing psychic protection.

You might think that everyone knows which emails to avoid opening. But email scams like this often appear similar to legitimate correspondence, and can be very convincing.

If you respond to messages like this, you'll be targeted for more scams. Criminals who run these cons keep databases of people who show interest in their hoaxes.

Unsolicited Phone Call

Psychic scammers also use phone calls to peddle their cons. They build trust by using personal information they've gleaned from social media and other sources.

Avoid this kind of psychic scam by never giving out on personal information to unsolicited callers. Hang up immediately if you get one of these phone calls. Remember, real psychics don't call potential customers to drum up business.

Mail

At least 1.4 million Americans fell for one of the most successful mail scams in history. It all started when Maria Duval, a psychic living in the south of France, sold the use of her name. The companies who purchased it targeted the sick and elderly, including those with dementia.

The letters were personalized with information about the victims that was purchased from databases. They had a hand-written appearance, even including fake coffee stains, and featured Duval's signature.

Victims paid a range of fees, supposedly for psychic divination, talismans, and crystals. Many of the letters promised opportunities to win large sums of money.

One of the companies involved sent 56 million letters within the U.S. between 2006 and 2014. The scam netted more than $200 million in the U.S. and Canada alone. Although this particular scam was shut down in the U.S., similar hoaxes still operate today.

Someone Approaching You

Psychic scammers who approach people in real life use psychological trickery to befriend and manipulate. You may think that you've met a helpful person by chance. However, they're really just on the lookout for people they can con.

If a "psychic" approaches you out of the blue, they might seem to be fishing for information. They might tell you things about yourself that are true for a lot of people.

Here's one version of a psychic scam that involves someone approaching you. A stranger asks you for directions to a nearby address, supposedly a psychic's place of business. Another stranger pretends to overhear and offers to take you both there as they're also going in that direction.

As a thank you for your help, the so-called psychic offers to bless your valuables. You hand over your bag, and they swap it for one that looks identical. You don't discover the con until it's much too late.

Final Thoughts

In many cases, con artists masquerading as psychics form long relationships with their victims. This can result in people handing over expensive gifts and/or their life savings.

Avoid these cons by never responding to unsolicited contact and only hiring from reputable places. Don't fall for the trick of "psychics" who get you to pay for a reading then try to sell you extra services.

When you want to hire a psychic, check their website and other social media accounts. Verify references to see that they're legitimate. Be especially wary of people who ask to use untraceable payment methods, like cash or wiring money.

Written by:

Jo Ellis
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Jo is a Professional Writing and Communications graduate who writes clearly and concisely with a fierce command of grammar. She grew up in Darwin, Australia and wishes she could say she wrestled crocodiles before breakfast but the truth is they really freak her out. She's happiest writing about entrepreneurship, online marketing, small business, and startups, but is fairly versatile, especially in the lifestyle space.
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