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(AND SPOT A SCAM ARTIST)
As a professional Psychic Consultant, one of the most frequent concerns clients have voiced is the fear of becoming the victim of scam artists which is completely understandable as there are a lot of predators out there, waiting to prey upon vulnerable people.
People don't come to me to ask why they've won a lottery or been the recipient of some fabulous good luck. People seek out psychic help because they are looking for insight into areas of their lives that are of great concern to them in some fashion or another, to some level or another. This fact alone, often leaves clients in a rather vulnerable position and one that is ripe for scam artists to step in and take advantage of those who are in a fragile position. Oftentimes, clients will come to me for the first time, hesitant, skeptical and fearful because they've already been taken advantage of by at least one of these sorts of scammers. For some, it has involved a great deal of lost money as well as possible harm, personally, mentally or emotionally. This is where it is important to me that people understand how to spot some potential clues as to which ones may be bogus psychics, out to take your money and give you nothing in return and who is likely to be a genuine psychic, clairvoyant or intuitive.
One of the first signs to watch out for are the Store Front Psychics. We've all seen them. They're the ones with the glowing neon signs, usually above stores in small apartments, clapboard signs in front of stairway entrances. Their come-in line is usually a draw because their fees are low. They usually advertise a reading of palm, tarot cards or combinations for fees in the area of $10.00 or less. More often than not, these fees are great sounding but, more likely to be draws to get you to come in. There are various techniques that they will use to draw more money out of you. The most common will consist of a few small tid-bits of generalized information that eventually leads to the idea that you are not happy with your life. Most people will agree to that because no one is totally happy in their lives in all areas. Once they've got you hooked on that line, there will be the utterance of something along the lines of a curse, or negative energies having been placed upon you or someone you love which will require some prayer, or incantation or some method of removal that they can personally do for you. Unfortunately, this is where there will be a much larger sum of money involved and could total hundreds of dollars and return visits with even more money involved upon each return visit. There is no curse or negative energy placed upon you anymore than this person can remove it from you. The only thing they will remove, is money from your wallet. Run, don't walk away from situations like this and beware of the luring signs, low fees and other draws that can be used. They are all part of the ploys to get you into their clutches.
While every psychic will work differently and may be little indication of any sort of rip-off, there are some signs when it comes to the methods by which a psychic will work. Most psychics can and will work by phone or the internet via chat or instant messenger. It's a sign of the times and our modern communication methods. Most psychics do not need to be with you in person in order to receive the "energies" that they work with in order to give you a very accurate reading so, it's of little consequence to judge a psychic as a scammer if he or, she works only by phone or the internet. More often than not, the cost of rented space would be more cost than the income he/she is bringing in from their work and would result in a very increased cost in their fees to cover that overhead. Some will do in person readings from their own home but, by and large, having strangers come to your home can not only be dangerous but, can also be quite unsettling as people often don't respect boundaries and will show up or call at all hours, unscheduled. So, many have turned away from the in person readings and gone to modern technology as their method since it makes no difference as to the quality of the reading for their clients.
However, there are a few things to watch out for in choosing a psychic when working by phone or net. First, there should be a flat fee for a period of time. In other words, no pay-per-minute as is usually the case with 1-900 or other toll free psychic networks tend to work. This way, you know up front what your total fee will be with no hidden surprises that can run hundreds of dollars. Secondly, be suspicious of the services that list psychics available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and offer extension numbers, along with a long list of psychics available. Not always, but the majority of time, you will be getting someone with a headset, talking to you while doing their dishes in their kitchen, watching television, chasing a young child around and trying to keep you talking to run up your bill. Most (not all) of these "psychics" have no more psychic ability than you do!
So, what should you look for?
Look for psychics who have their own websites and offer explanations as to how they work, what they offer, set fees and will answer your emails, personally or have an assistant who will answer your emails or calls personally rather than by a form email.
Seek out flat rates for specific amounts of time. There should be no more fees added.
Read through a psychic's website to see if his or her ethics match yours and if he or she explains fully how they work. If it looks too glittery, sounds too gypsyish or sales pitched, you may want to look further.
Ask questions! Don't be afraid to email a psychic to see how he or she answers your questions. Does it feel right to you? Do you feel comfortable with his or her answers? While no psychic will have endless hours to sit and answer every single email that comes in or seems frivolous or already answered on their website, if you have specific questions about their methods that hasn't been covered on their website, they should be willing to answer your questions in a friendly and informative manner or, at the least, direct you to the place on their website where you will get those answers. Personally, I find it difficult to repeat the same answers over and over again if it's already on my website but, I will take the time to respond as soon as I can, with a personal note and a link to that information. A good and caring reader will take that time when possible. It may not be immediate but, you should be able to ask questions and receive a reasonable response whenever they can get to your email.
Word of mouth is always a tremendous resource. Ask around. Chances are, someone you work with or know has already been to see a psychic, even if they don't advertise it openly. Lots of people seek out psychic readings but, are afraid of being made fun of or thought of as crazy for having done so. Starting a generalized conversation at work, over lunch or during a break about seeing a psychic will likely open up an opportunity for others to share who they've seen and info on how good they are or who to stay away from.
Lastly, know when to walk out. If a psychic is asking you for more money during your reading, walk out! Unless your reader has gone over the agreed upon time for his or her fee and is asking if you'd like to continue for another set amount of time for the same fee, there should be no need for more money to be asked for.
Use your own intuition or, gut feeling. If something isn't feeling right to you, trust in that intuition. We are all psychic. The only difference between you and a psychic who will read for you is that they have developed it more fully and have learned how to use it in depth and on demand.
Having these points in mind, wishing you all of the very best in seeking out a psychic who suits you best. There are truly gifted psychics in this world. It's just getting past the scam artists first.
As a professional Psychic Consultant, one of the most frequent concerns clients have voiced is the fear of becoming the victim of scam artists which is completely understandable as there are a lot of predators out there, waiting to prey upon vulnerable people.
People don't come to me to ask why they've won a lottery or been the recipient of some fabulous good luck. People seek out psychic help because they are looking for insight into areas of their lives that are of great concern to them in some fashion or another, to some level or another. This fact alone, often leaves clients in a rather vulnerable position and one that is ripe for scam artists to step in and take advantage of those who are in a fragile position. Oftentimes, clients will come to me for the first time, hesitant, skeptical and fearful because they've already been taken advantage of by at least one of these sorts of scammers. For some, it has involved a great deal of lost money as well as possible harm, personally, mentally or emotionally. This is where it is important to me that people understand how to spot some potential clues as to which ones may be bogus psychics, out to take your money and give you nothing in return and who is likely to be a genuine psychic, clairvoyant or intuitive.
One of the first signs to watch out for are the Store Front Psychics. We've all seen them. They're the ones with the glowing neon signs, usually above stores in small apartments, clapboard signs in front of stairway entrances. Their come-in line is usually a draw because their fees are low. They usually advertise a reading of palm, tarot cards or combinations for fees in the area of $10.00 or less. More often than not, these fees are great sounding but, more likely to be draws to get you to come in. There are various techniques that they will use to draw more money out of you. The most common will consist of a few small tid-bits of generalized information that eventually leads to the idea that you are not happy with your life. Most people will agree to that because no one is totally happy in their lives in all areas. Once they've got you hooked on that line, there will be the utterance of something along the lines of a curse, or negative energies having been placed upon you or someone you love which will require some prayer, or incantation or some method of removal that they can personally do for you. Unfortunately, this is where there will be a much larger sum of money involved and could total hundreds of dollars and return visits with even more money involved upon each return visit. There is no curse or negative energy placed upon you anymore than this person can remove it from you. The only thing they will remove, is money from your wallet. Run, don't walk away from situations like this and beware of the luring signs, low fees and other draws that can be used. They are all part of the ploys to get you into their clutches.
While every psychic will work differently and may be little indication of any sort of rip-off, there are some signs when it comes to the methods by which a psychic will work. Most psychics can and will work by phone or the internet via chat or instant messenger. It's a sign of the times and our modern communication methods. Most psychics do not need to be with you in person in order to receive the "energies" that they work with in order to give you a very accurate reading so, it's of little consequence to judge a psychic as a scammer if he or, she works only by phone or the internet. More often than not, the cost of rented space would be more cost than the income he/she is bringing in from their work and would result in a very increased cost in their fees to cover that overhead. Some will do in person readings from their own home but, by and large, having strangers come to your home can not only be dangerous but, can also be quite unsettling as people often don't respect boundaries and will show up or call at all hours, unscheduled. So, many have turned away from the in person readings and gone to modern technology as their method since it makes no difference as to the quality of the reading for their clients.
However, there are a few things to watch out for in choosing a psychic when working by phone or net. First, there should be a flat fee for a period of time. In other words, no pay-per-minute as is usually the case with 1-900 or other toll free psychic networks tend to work. This way, you know up front what your total fee will be with no hidden surprises that can run hundreds of dollars. Secondly, be suspicious of the services that list psychics available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and offer extension numbers, along with a long list of psychics available. Not always, but the majority of time, you will be getting someone with a headset, talking to you while doing their dishes in their kitchen, watching television, chasing a young child around and trying to keep you talking to run up your bill. Most (not all) of these "psychics" have no more psychic ability than you do!
So, what should you look for?
Look for psychics who have their own websites and offer explanations as to how they work, what they offer, set fees and will answer your emails, personally or have an assistant who will answer your emails or calls personally rather than by a form email.
Seek out flat rates for specific amounts of time. There should be no more fees added.
Read through a psychic's website to see if his or her ethics match yours and if he or she explains fully how they work. If it looks too glittery, sounds too gypsyish or sales pitched, you may want to look further.
Ask questions! Don't be afraid to email a psychic to see how he or she answers your questions. Does it feel right to you? Do you feel comfortable with his or her answers? While no psychic will have endless hours to sit and answer every single email that comes in or seems frivolous or already answered on their website, if you have specific questions about their methods that hasn't been covered on their website, they should be willing to answer your questions in a friendly and informative manner or, at the least, direct you to the place on their website where you will get those answers. Personally, I find it difficult to repeat the same answers over and over again if it's already on my website but, I will take the time to respond as soon as I can, with a personal note and a link to that information. A good and caring reader will take that time when possible. It may not be immediate but, you should be able to ask questions and receive a reasonable response whenever they can get to your email.
Word of mouth is always a tremendous resource. Ask around. Chances are, someone you work with or know has already been to see a psychic, even if they don't advertise it openly. Lots of people seek out psychic readings but, are afraid of being made fun of or thought of as crazy for having done so. Starting a generalized conversation at work, over lunch or during a break about seeing a psychic will likely open up an opportunity for others to share who they've seen and info on how good they are or who to stay away from.
Lastly, know when to walk out. If a psychic is asking you for more money during your reading, walk out! Unless your reader has gone over the agreed upon time for his or her fee and is asking if you'd like to continue for another set amount of time for the same fee, there should be no need for more money to be asked for.
Use your own intuition or, gut feeling. If something isn't feeling right to you, trust in that intuition. We are all psychic. The only difference between you and a psychic who will read for you is that they have developed it more fully and have learned how to use it in depth and on demand.
Having these points in mind, wishing you all of the very best in seeking out a psychic who suits you best. There are truly gifted psychics in this world. It's just getting past the scam artists first.