Fraud – deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of con-artists in the metaphysical industry. I’ve heard several stories of people who are told lies that were very damaging and conned out of thousands of dollars. There are also bad readers out there who can mean well but are not very aware of the impact their words can cause. It’s not a surprise that people are cautious.

There are also a lot of ethical, professional readers out there if you know how to find them. Probably more so now than before. They do not always get a lot of press or even a lot of money, but they are genuine.

There are only a couple people I will buy readings from because I’ve vetted them and trust them. I’ve seen them read. I’ve also seen how they express their ideas, their ethics, and their intent. You can feel all of this in how they communicate and how they read. If they have been referred by a solid person, even better. In this way, the internet helps with transparency. I’ve never paid for a reading from someone I did not get to know first. Although, I’ve sometimes
considered getting a reading from the $10 psychics to see what they say, I’ve never walked in.

7 Signs You’re Dealing with a Con-Artist:

• They are mostly reading you, and cards or tool they are supposed to be using is just a prop.
• They do not state their ethics or communicate a sense of ethics. Some legitimate readers do not have a set of written ethics, but they at least communicate some kind of ethics.
• They focus on the negative to breed fear and dependency. They may tell you that you are cursed and want you to buy a very expensive solution to get rid of it. For the low price of just $2000!
• They always tell you what you want to hear and never tell you otherwise.
• They concentrate on accuracy rates and brag about how accurate they are. They may even claim to be God.
• They tell you not to tell anybody else about your reading.
• They take advantage of the Forer effect to produce general statements that apply to most people in order to gain your confidence. It is usually used to appeal to your ego. “Sometimes, you feel quite vengeful, but your sense of right and wrong prevents you from acting on it.”

Several of these lines together are a telltale sign of a fraud. Your gut is an even better fraud detector. Any uncomfortableness you feel about your reader will have some evidence behind it.

Do you have any tips on spotting a fraudulent reader?