Social Networks & psychic scams 

There are a great deal of psychic sites that now use the power of the internet to reach out, advertise and grow their client base. Some of these psychic sites are far from genuine and we urge you to read this quick and simple guide to protect yourself against psychic readings and psychic scams on the internet and telephone.
There are a lot of very established as well as new sites that offer psychic telephone readings, these psychic lines are in a very competitive market and they need to offer special deals to entice customers to try their psychic lines. But not all sites have such honest intentions….

Caution when using a FREE psychic reading

A common way used to encourage a psychic reading is to offer a free psychic call, usually this is for a few minutes and is a  taster for you to get a feel for the psychic you are speaking with. While some of these are legitimate marketing techniques to help you choose the best psychic for you this is not always the case. It could be the prelude to a psychic scam.
Some psychic sites are manned by homeworkers who work from simple scripts. They are told to tell you generic information to entice you to stay on the line. They may also talk very very slowly, basically dragging out the first 3 minutes (or however long) the FREE minutes are. The “psychic” here does not get paid until your start to be charged. The longer you are talking on the telephone, the more you pay so time is a very important consideration. It is VERY easy to lose track of time when someone is “almost” telling you something or hinting at something important.
These psychic scam artists do not just steal money, they take away hope and are incorrigible human beings. If you even think you might have a reading being extended, then end the call. If a genuine psychic advisor has something to share with you, they will and then expand on it for you as needed. Have a look at our guide to getting the most from your telephone psychic reading to prepare before you make a call.

Psychic readings and social networks

If you are told some information about yourself is it VERY detailed this could be a warning sign. If so, then you might want to check what information is available about you already on the internet. With our use of social networking, if we are not careful we can reveal a great deal about our birthdays, family, jobs and other circumstances … more than we realise. This information can be accessible by more than just our families and friends. Go and Google your name and see what comes up and if there is a lot of information, maybe it is wise to start to look at making some of those details more private.
There is a an old technique called cold reading where a fake psychic will “read” your body language, clothes and other visible signs to make assumptions or guesses – these hits then are used to build credibility and this can make you vulnerable to being asked for larger sums of money. Now with social networking the same is true with even greater “accuracy”. During your psychic call, especially if you make use of the offers of those amazing FREE minutes, your “psychic” might simply be checking your name and details online to build a profile about you as they waffle pointlessly or ask leading questions to buy them time.

How to beat the psychic scammers!

Use the same techniques on the psychics you are speaking to, how old is the site offering psychic services, are there any reviews either within the site or on the internet about the psychics that are available? Do your own research. Many psychics have memorable names and they may work on a number of psychic telephone lines, check them out and do your research before speaking with them. Do your checks before you make your purchase, using search terms such as the psychics name and then add terms like – complaint, scam or review. This will usually bring up results, while everyone is entitled to their opinion and a negative review does not mean the psychic is a fraud, a volume of reports is a different matter. If in doubt, don’t make the call.

Check the fine print on the Psychic Site

Always read the terms and conditions, and fine print. A legitimate site will have these so have a quick look through them and find out if your credit card is going to be charged on a regular basis, or if there are other hidden conditions associated with your call. Call charges need to be clearly displayed (if paying via your phone bill.) Protect your personal information, if you are paying by a credit card then only use secure payment websites and services. Never send money, or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. Never call a telephone number that you see in a spam email and never reply to a spam email (even to unsubscribe), you don’t want to prove you exist and encourage another approach. Many businesses make a great deal of money harvesting legitimate and active email addresses.

Victim of a psychic scam?

Finally, if you are the victim of a psychic scam please report it. The Office of Fair Trading estimates over 3 million people in the UK fall victim to mass marketed scams every year, collectively losing £3.5 billion. Fewer than 5% of psychic scam victims report their experience.
You can get a refund from the company, they may not know a psychic scammer is abusing their system so there is a great place to start. If not then contact your credit card company for a charge back for monies spent. Then report it both the Office of fair trading and write your experience online, it will help others not fall foul of the same tricks.
All the above will help you continue or begin to use quality psychic sites and experience the many benefits that working with professional psychics can and does bring.