Shaman, healer, medicine woman… it doesn’t matter what you call them – these people have always existed in just about every culture around the world. And while their roles vary from one another, they all have that one thing in common: a strong connection to the otherside. But for every legit psychic with actual paranormal abilities, there are about 150 scammers whose only real talent is spinning a web of lies. Want to know how to avoid becoming one of their victims? Then take a look at some of the dirty tricks a fake psychic could be using on you.

1. They Ask You Questions

The whole point of being a psychic is being able to pick up on information without having any previous knowledge about it. So why on Earth would someone with those abilities need to ask you a whole lot of questions? Sounds fishy, doesn’t it? The obvious answer is that they’re a fraud, and they do this to get you to spill the beans about your life on your own. It’s the only way for them to string together a convincing story, one that will keep you coming back so they can make more money.

2. They Make a Claim and Then Wait

When fake psychics aren’t asking you a whole bunch of personal questions, they’re making wild claims, then pausing in between. It’s usually something mundane or general like “You’ve had a stressful month.” Then they’ll use your verbal or non-verbal reaction to build up on the rest of the reading. The only reading they’re doing is cold reading and this allows them to know if they’re on the right track or not. If you see a psychic doing this, just remember that it’s a huge red flag.

3. Flattery and False Claims

We humans love getting our egos stroked. Fake psychics are very much aware of this and use it to their advantage. That’s why they use flattery and false claims to lure in more customers, especially the vulnerable and desperate. They’ll say something along the lines of: “you have such a magnetic aura. I see much success and great love in your future. You should come back for an advanced reading.” The truth is, you’re probably not the only one they’ve said this to. So don’t waste your time.

4. Past Lives as Famous People

As mentioned above, we humans can be a bit self-important. And most people who believe in reincarnation always claim to be some important person. You know, like Cleopatra, Alexander the Great and Abraham Lincoln. Most likely they heard it from a psychic, a fake one of course. And the gag is, the fake psychic most likely told that to at least 15 other clients. Oh, and for a little extra something, they’ll even help you connect with said past life. Don’t waste your time, it’s nothing but lies.

5. Positive Claims With a Few Negatives

A fake psychic’s reading will be 97% positive with just enough negativity sprinkled in. Why? Well for one, if it was all bad news, then you wouldn’t want to come back. So in an attempt to make themselves look genuine, they’ll say something like: “ You’ve recently lost something of great importance to you.” This could be anything. And the reason it’s so vague is because they want you to fill in the blanks yourself and give them more information, then repeat the cycle of getting more readings.