Welcome to the world of the top 10 dirty tactics that fake psychics love to pull on unsuspecting clients. While there is some scientific evidence suggesting genuine psychic phenomena – such as Daryl Bem’s precognition experiments involving over a thousand participants – the majority of self‑styled seers are simply masters of deception, using a toolbox of psychological tricks to keep you talking, paying, and ultimately believing they have supernatural powers.
10 They Keep You Talking
One of the most effective ploys in a charlatan’s repertoire is to keep the conversation flowing nonstop. The longer you gab, the more breadcrumbs of personal detail you unintentionally drop, and the easier it becomes for the fraudster to spin a convincing “reading.”
In practice this means the bill climbs higher – especially with phone‑based psychics who often charge $3.99 per minute or more – and you may end up paying for time you never intended to spend, not to mention the emotional toll of feeling trapped in a never‑ending dialogue.
Why This Is One of the Top 10 Dirty Tricks
The relentless chatter is a classic confidence‑building technique: the more you talk, the more you invest, and the harder it becomes to walk away.
9 They Ask For Personal Information
After establishing a comfortable rapport, many impostors suddenly request your name, birth date, and home address, claiming these details are essential for a “proper” reading. This veneer of professionalism masks a far more sinister motive.
In reality, the data is harvested to flood you with alarming messages – think “you’re in danger, call immediately” or “I sense a curse; you must contact me now!” – all designed to coerce you into further calls or an in‑person visit where the scammer can milk every minute of your time for cash.
If the practitioner truly possessed psychic abilities, such personal identifiers would be unnecessary. Their demand for your private information is a red flag that the whole operation is a money‑making scheme.
8 Flattery And False Claims
The hallmark of a fake psychic is the relentless use of flattery paired with fabricated assertions. By complimenting your aura or character, the con artist builds a false sense of friendship and trust, laying the groundwork for deeper manipulation.
Once you feel validated, the charlatan drops a “special” claim – for example, “Your aura is unusually vibrant; I’d love to schedule an advanced reading next Tuesday.” This creates urgency and the illusion of exclusivity, nudging you toward a higher‑priced session.
If the psychic can keep you returning for these premium readings, they’ve successfully turned you into a recurring source of income, all while you remain blissfully unaware of the deception.
7 Past Lives As Famous People
Another favorite ruse is to tell you that you once lived as a renowned historical figure—perhaps Cleopatra, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander the Great, or Helen of Troy. While the notion sounds glamorous, it’s virtually always a fabricated compliment designed to inflate your ego.
These claims are rarely genuine; most fraudsters recycle the same famous personas across dozens of clients. By flattering you with a “great‑person” past life, they keep you hooked, hoping you’ll pay extra for “regression” sessions or other pricey add‑ons that supposedly uncover deeper memories.
6 They Make A Claim And Then Wait
A classic maneuver is to make an ambiguous statement and then fall silent, waiting for you to react. This pause lets the pretender read your body language, facial expressions, or nervous ticks, using any reaction as “evidence” of their accuracy.
If you respond—whether with a gasp, a nod, or a puzzled look—the fake psychic seizes that cue to claim, “I see you’re startled; I sensed something about your health.” The deliberate silence is a psychological trap that makes you feel validated, even though the claim was intentionally vague.
5 They Give You Information That Might Be True For Anyone
Fake psychics excel at delivering statements that could apply to virtually anyone. A typical example is, “I sense you have suffered a recent loss.” Since most people have experienced some form of loss—be it a financial setback, a loved one’s passing, or even a misplaced pet—such a remark feels eerily personal.
The genius of this approach lies in its universality. Because the comment is so broad, you’re likely to fill in the blanks with your own recent grief, convincing yourself that the psychic has tapped into your hidden world.
This technique is a win‑win for the scammer: they never risk being proven wrong, and you walk away convinced of their uncanny insight.
4 Positive Claims With Just A Few Negatives
To keep clients coming back, fraudsters pepper their readings with mostly upbeat predictions, sprinkling in a handful of negative details to lend credibility. If every statement were rosy, you’d suspect a sham; a few “you lost something important” bits make the reading seem balanced.
For instance, a fake psychic might say, “You recently misplaced a treasured object.” That could be anything from a set of keys to a family heirloom, and you’ll likely recall a recent instance that fits, reinforcing the illusion of accuracy.
3 They Look You Up Online
In the digital age, many impostors scour social media platforms to gather personal tidbits about you before a session. Whether you’ve announced a forthcoming book or posted vacation photos, they harvest these clues to weave into a seemingly “psychic” narrative.
During the reading, you might hear, “I see you’re on the brink of becoming a bestseller,” which feels startlingly precise but is merely a reflection of publicly available information.
The internet is a goldmine of data, and fake psychics exploit it to fabricate the illusion of supernatural insight.
2 They Ask You Questions
A genuine psychic wouldn’t need to interrogate you; they’d simply reveal facts that the client has no way of knowing. In contrast, a charlatan bombards you with a barrage of questions, coaxing details you never intended to share.
When you’re caught off‑guard by a sudden “yes or no” query, you may answer without thinking, inadvertently handing the fraudster the very information they need to craft a convincing reading.
By extracting these unsolicited details, the fake psychic builds a façade of accuracy while simultaneously setting the stage for future, higher‑priced sessions.
1 They Use Props
A true psychic doesn’t need flamboyant accessories to convey their gifts. If you step into a dimly lit room filled with crystal balls, oversized scarves, glimmering bracelets, and walls adorned with natal charts, you’re likely in the lair of a professional con artist.
These visual cues—large crystals, esoteric books, or an elaborate tarot spread—serve to reinforce the illusion that something mystical is happening, when in fact the entire performance hinges on suggestion and showmanship.
Even the most minimalist fraudsters may keep a simple deck of cards on a table, using it as a prop to lend credibility to their act without appearing overly theatrical.
Regardless of the level of ornamentation, the use of props is a hallmark of deception; a genuine psychic would rely solely on their innate ability, not on external objects, to convey insights.
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About The Author: Regina Paul is an author and artist who lives in Seattle, Washington. Visit her website at https://www.reginapaul.com.