Clairvoyants & Psychic Scams — What You Need to Know

What Is a Clairvoyant?

Similar to psychics and mediums, clairvoyants are people who claim to have the extrasensory ability to perceive information outside the basic five senses of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch. As defined by the Parapsychological Association (2021), “Clairvoyance is one of the key areas of parapsychology that include psychic (psi) experiences, such as ESP (telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition), psychokinesis, and phenomena suggestive of postmortem survival.”

There are specific senses within the context of clairvoyance that can be described in four different yet similar ways. Often referred to as the “four clairs,” the following abilities can be held individually or simultaneously:

Clairvoyant Abilities
Clairvoyance	This sense can be described as “psychic vision,” usually in the form of images or symbols that can be seen within the mind’s eye.
Clairaudience	Usually called “psychic hearing,” a stream of words or messages may come into the minds of clairvoyants with this ability.
Clairsentience	A sense you could call “psychic feeling,” clairsentience manifests with a physical reaction in the body such as tingling, chills, or vibes.
Claircognizance	Often referred to as “psychic knowing,” someone with this sense tends to have strong gut feelings that they use as a guide.

In regards to the scientific evidence on the validity of clairvoyants, Dr. Sam Youssef suggests, “Clairvoyance has been proven to be real, according to Chen et al. (2021), in their scientific paper, which covers three ‘eyeless sight’ scientific studies.”

How does a clairvoyant work?

The original meaning of the word “to see clearly” may offer some insight into how a clairvoyant perceives the world. It could be said that they may be able to perceive things the way that they truly are or will be, through the fog of the mundane. You may want to work with a clairvoyant if you’re looking for information outside of the ordinary or what you’re able to see and know. There are people who offer their clairvoyant services of intuition through psychic websites that charge by the minute or for a flat rate.

How much does a clairvoyant cost?

If you hire a clairvoyant through an online psychic directory, you’re more likely to pay by the minute, anywhere from $1 per minute to $30 per minute. There are also flat-rate packages available through individual practitioner websites that can vary in price depending on the service, but usually go for anywhere from $60 to upwards of $300. The type of reading you book will determine the price you can expect to pay. Reputation, demand, and experience can also increase or decrease the cost of a clairvoyant reading.

How to Spot a Psychic Scam

When you put your money and trust into someone offering psychic or clairvoyant readings, you expect to receive what is promised in an honest and professional way. However, there are those who have spotted the opportunity to take advantage of people through psychic scams. People with clairvoyant abilities are providing information from within themselves, so you can see how someone would be able to fake it or simply make up whatever they want to in order to make money. 

It’s important to do your research before consulting someone offering clairvoyant readings. Take a look into the reviews and ratings on their own website and through neutral opinion platforms like Trustpilot. There you can find reviews that have been made by consumers on different popular psychic websites that host clairvoyants from all over the world. The software they use is designed to detect any kind of fake reviews or ratings that someone may attempt to publish on their website.

If you choose to consult with a clairvoyant, there are some common red flags to keep an eye out for. Below we’ll discuss different tactics scammers may use to manipulate their victims. Educating yourself is the best defense against any type of scam.

Common Psychic Scams to Look Out For

There have been cases of clairvoyant, psychic, and medium scams across the globe. From promising good luck and fortune for a small fee of $45 to demanding thousands of dollars to remove alleged curses, fraudsters use emotional manipulation to coerce people into giving up their money. It’s common for these con artists to prey on desperate or vulnerable people who are looking for answers to their problems. 

Recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, some people are seeking answers and hope by using clairvoyants during this very challenging time. The FBI revealed in a statement to the AARP that they have seen an uptick in psychic scams targeting people over 50 since the pandemic started. Common issues people have been reporting include paying for a psychic service and then having the practitioner never show up and failure to provide the services promised.

Here are some examples of red flags you should watch out for when reading reviews for and interacting with clairvoyants:

• Promising future events will come to pass
• Demanding payment under threat of curses or blackmail
• Receiving mail or phone calls claiming you’ll gain good fortune if you send money first
• Providing the only solution to a prediction of trouble to come

What to do if You’re a Victim of Psychic Fraud

As with any kind of fraud, be sure to contact your financial institutions and the proper authorities to report how you were scammed. Although it can be embarrassing to admit you’ve been victimized by a con artist, it’s important to speak out and spread awareness so others don’t fall prey to the same schemes. It’s a terrible feeling to lose any amount of money to someone taking advantage of you, and it can also cause anxiety and mental anguish. Seek professional help from a mental health provider if you need someone to talk through the abuse you may have experienced.

Law enforcement doesn’t seem to be able to do much in the way of prosecuting scammers due to the nature of psychic and clairvoyant readings. If you willingly send your money to these people, there’s not much the police can do to go after the scammers. One thing you can do to combat these kinds of scams is to share your negative experience and warn others to stay away from the person who committed the fraud.

Finding a Clairvoyant You Can Trust

As we mentioned earlier, educating yourself on red flags and the methods used by people running psychic scams is the first place to start before consulting a clairvoyant. There are of course genuine, honest practitioners out there whose aim is to help people better their lives. It’s possible to find a clairvoyant you can trust with a little research and knowledge. 

Working through a reputable online psychic directory is one way to find the right clairvoyant for you. There are people available worldwide that have been screened and vetted through these large psychic websites working to provide high-quality services you should be able to trust. Sometimes you may need to try a few different providers to get an idea of what kind of clairvoyant you’re looking for.

What’s the difference between online psychic readings and in-person readings?

Being able to get a psychic reading at home is a convenient and comfortable way to interact with a clairvoyant. The internet enables you to access practitioners from all over the world and from many different spiritual backgrounds. However, you should be aware of how much easier it can be to get scammed through online and over-the-phone interactions. Many of these services are offered on a per-minute basis, and this can lead to providers over-extending psychic calls to rack up more money. 

Meeting a psychic in person is another option if you’re wary of working virtually. Although it may be more expensive due to scheduling constraints and store-front costs, you may find it easier to connect with a clairvoyant face-to-face. Scams can happen in person as well, so be sure to establish your boundaries and use common sense when interacting in the real world. Most in-person psychics offer packages for purchase that include the promise of certain services. If you purchase a package, take note of how your clairvoyant uses the time and how you feel about the interaction afterwards.

References
Shen, D., Shen, R. S., Li, G., & Piao, D. (2021). Laboratory Investigations of Extrasensory Identification of Concealed 5-Character Codes by a Presumably Gifted Teenager. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 35(3).