Buzz
While skepticism exists around psychic phenomena, some studies suggest there could be genuine abilities. For example, social psychologist Daryl Bem conducted experiments with over 1,000 participants and discovered that eight individuals exhibited undeniable signs of precognition or premonition.
Etzel Cardena, another notable parapsychologist, found that the Ganzfeld procedure provided supporting evidence for real psychic abilities. In this method, participants are placed in soundproof rooms while blindfolded and asked to describe a film clip they've never seen. The clip is either played in another room at the same time or shown to them later.
Following this, another group of people uses the descriptions from the blindfolded participants to accurately select the film clip from a set of options. Some participants were able to identify the correct clip based solely on the psychic’s description.
However, there is far more evidence indicating that many so-called psychics are simply frauds who use manipulation to make you believe in their extraordinary abilities. Here are some of the deceptive tricks that fake psychics use to fool you.
10. They Keep You Talking to Gather Information
One of the most common tactics is to get you talking for as long as possible. The more you speak, the more information you unintentionally reveal, which the fake psychic can then use to create your reading.
Ultimately, you end up paying more (in more ways than one). This is particularly true for phone psychics, where their rates can be as high as $3.99 per minute or more.
9. They Request Personal Details
After engaging with you and building rapport, many fake psychics will ask for personal details such as your name, birth date, and address. They claim this is necessary to provide an accurate reading.
In reality, these details are used by fake psychics to send you alarming messages like ‘You’re in danger, call me now!’ or ‘Someone has cursed you, you need to get in touch immediately!’
The goal is to make you reach out to them—either by phone or by visiting their business—where they attempt to keep you there for as long as possible. For them, the longer the interaction, the more money they make. A true psychic wouldn’t need any personal information from you at all.
8. Flattery and Fabricated Statements
Fake psychics often rely on one tactic: making you want to return for more. They do this by flattering you and making false claims. The flattery is designed to create a sense of trust, as if the psychic is a friend.
Once you’re comfortable, they begin to make false claims. For example: ‘You have a very unique aura. I’d love to give you a deeper, more advanced reading. How about next Tuesday?’
If the psychic manages to keep you coming back for ‘advanced’ readings and convincing you to spend more money, they’ve effectively scammed you.
7. Past Lives as Renowned Figures
Fake psychics may claim that you were a historical figure—like Cleopatra, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander the Great, or Helen of Troy—in a past life. While the idea of having been a famous person might seem intriguing, these claims are rarely true. More likely, the psychic has told this story to many other clients.
Be cautious of any psychic who insists you were an important person in a past life. They are using flattery to reel you in, aiming to extract more money. For a price, they may offer to regress you to a past life using hypnosis, or find other ways to exploit this scheme.
6. They Make Broad Statements and Wait for Your Reaction
A fake psychic might intentionally make a vague or general statement and then pause, observing your body language or waiting for a reaction that confirms they’re on the right path. If a psychic suddenly stops talking and waits for your response, it’s a clear warning sign.
5. They Provide Information That Could Apply to Anyone
Fake psychics may give you statements that could be true for just about anyone. For instance, they might say, ‘I sense that you’ve gone through a loss recently.’
Nearly everyone has dealt with some form of loss, whether financial, emotional, or related to a beloved person or pet. This type of statement is so broad that it can apply to nearly anyone’s experience.
Fake psychics often rely on vague, general comments because they can’t fail. This kind of statement is universal and can resonate with anyone at any point in their life. They’re counting on you to bite when they use this trick.
4. Positive Statements With A Few Negative Twists
A fake psychic will typically focus on delivering mostly positive messages. After all, if everything was negative, you wouldn’t return. However, they’ll occasionally throw in a few negative remarks to make their reading seem more authentic.
For instance, they might say, ‘You recently mislaid something of great importance to you.’ This could refer to anything—perhaps you lost your keys or an heirloom. The statement is so broad that it allows you to fill in the details to make it fit, which is exactly what the fake psychic hopes will happen.
3. They Use Props
A genuine psychic doesn’t rely on ‘props.’ So, if you visit her office and find her wearing typical ‘gypsy’ attire—like bangle bracelets, a scarf, and flowing skirts—there’s a chance you’ve booked an appointment with a fraudulent psychic.
But props aren’t limited to clothing. Fake psychics may also use large crystals, books about psychic phenomena, or even astrological charts displayed on the walls to add a sense of authenticity.
Be aware, though, that some fraudulent psychics are savvy enough to appear as ordinary as possible. They don’t want to spook you with overtly stereotypical scammer behavior. Instead, they might only have a table, chairs, and maybe a tarot card deck to create an illusion of normalcy.
In any case, props are unnecessary for a real psychic. A true psychic should be able to provide the guidance you seek using only the power of her mind, no trinkets required.
2. They Ask You Questions
A genuine psychic doesn’t need to interrogate you. They should have the ability to reveal authentic details without needing to ask for any help from you.
In contrast, fake psychics tend to ask an abundance of questions. At first, it may seem natural to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or offer more information, especially when you’re getting acquainted with someone new.
This is a common tactic used by fraudsters. They rely on you to give away information they don’t possess. Once they manage to extract details from you with little effort on your part, they’ve achieved their goal. This gives them the tools to extract more time and money from you.
1. They Look You Up Online
Just like anyone else, fake psychics research people on social media to gather personal details. With nearly everyone online nowadays, it’s not difficult for them to find out intimate information about you.
Many fraudulent psychics search online to uncover details they can weave into your reading. For instance, if you’ve been sharing posts about writing a book, the psychic might claim, “I sense that you’ll soon be a best-selling author.”
The web is overflowing with personal data, and fake psychics make use of it to craft their so-called readings.
