I have decided to publicise my Blog again, and note that in the past I have referenced the frauds and the scammers, and it appears that little has changed in nearly ten years of online Psychic services. They have become cleverer at rorting people of their $ and this includes the psychic lines. I will do a seperate blog on this in the near future. In the meantime here is a blog that I published more recently on a separate site:
Psychics, mediums and healers claim to have or believe they have the extrasensory perception (ESP). ESP is defined as a 'sixth' sense. However, Psychics and mediums define it as a mixture of 'Clairs' outlined in our FAQ and other blogs. Some claim to be able to 'read energy', see a person's aura, or hear and see Spirit, 'higher beings' such as angels and guides. There is an underpinning belief that both Spirit and people have an 'electromagnetic field' that can't be seen with the naked eye. Only some psychics claim to have 'clairs', (that is, a variety of 'intuitive senses. You can read more about the clairs in our blog explaining them. Some workers will define themselves simply as Card Readers and intuitive, while the mediums and spirit communicators usually claim to have a full range of 'Clairs'. An Australian 'Whistleblower' alleged that when he was working on a Psychic telephone line employed as a psychic, his employer had no regard for the quality and integrity of service delivery. He alleged that the employer knowingly used frauds, and encouraged them to extend their calls or to fumble through them. The idea is that if the Customer became frustrated and hung up, the business would still generate income through the exorbitant per-minute rate. This kind of employer conduct and customer exploitation has led to the great controversy around the sale of services by Psychics and Mediums because the 'industry' is said to be rife with imposters. (Sydney Criminal Lawyers, 2016). it is believed that Psychic fraud is underreported to authorities. The scammers get away with their activities because victims are too embarrassed to admit they used the services, believed what they were told, or both. Genuine Psychics and Mediums are placed in a difficult position to prove to the public that they ARE gifted. Psychics experience negative impacts because of scammer and fraudulent behaviour. The misconduct, unprofessional conduct, scams, dishonest behaviour and exploitation within the industry have led to public pressure to regulate the sector (Mangan, 2008). Genuine Psychics claim to have experienced social exclusion since the Spanish inquisition hundreds of years ago (if not before). The scammers undermine the professional and personal integrity of the Psychics and Energy Workers, compounding social stigma. Conduct by people claiming to be psychic does not help build a professional reputation - for example, 'Psychics' took each other to court in Australia in 2021 to settle an online social media dispute (O'Neil, 2021). This case demonstrated that people can (at best) have gifts but clearly little maturity, less wisdom, and no understanding of ethics. The two "Psychics" had built their businesses on social media during the Covid lockdown. They were clearly not a member of any professional association. Ethical ConductSo, the question remains – how do we determine, the genuine from the imposters? What identifies responsible use from Irresponsible use? Historically, there have been two primary rules for the accountable and authentic psychic:
The International Psychic Association Code of Ethics states:
Identifying Psychic and Medium Misconduct. Mangan positioned that some psychics are predatory - preying on the vulnerable public who are suffering, and there is a lack of humane care toward them. In 2008 the state of Victoria had seventy complaints about psychic misconduct and violations of consumer protections. Arguments against the psychic industry are that damage can be either intentional or unwitting and can create enormous hardship for the victims. (In Australia - the Customer can formalise a complaint and sue for remedy as part of Consumer protection.). Examples of misconduct that creates harm include:
Email scams are spam emails stating that they have pulled your cards or have a message for you, and if you don't pay for the offer, you can expect misfortune. They may offer a protective talisman for purchase or remove hexes and curses (or even put a hex or curse on you if you don't buy or do what they want). (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, [ACCC], 2022) Report them to ACCC as a scam and Telecommunications as email spam, and DON'T FALL FOR IT. Phone Scams- A 'whistleblower from the phone line industry outed himself and his perception of his employer back in 2013. He confessed he was not psychic or gifted and alleged his employer knew that few of his staff had psychic ability. The whistleblower claimed that the phone workers were encouraged to drag out calls (paid for by the minute), and encourage the client to talk about themselves so that the worker could 'reflect back to them. He said he was motivated to 'work the lines' because it was 'easy money sitting at home and sounded like fun. Still, the workers' pay rate was meagre, so he eventually stopped working the phone lines. Fraud: Landy reported in 2013 that frauds were financially exploiting their customers by instilling fear. They would then offer services at exorbitant rates to remove the fearful situations they had created for their customers. Some customers spent tens of thousands of dollars on their services and sometimes borrowed money to have 'curses removed. This conduct is easily identifiable when measuring against the Psychic Code of Ethics to signify fraud. Quandaries The laws are grey - the consumer also has a responsibility to be 'discerning', and often the Psychic genuinely attempts to be helpful. Sadly, grief often clouds many people's decision-making, so even with the best of intentions, there can be a communication breakdown and poor decision-making by the Customer. One case that comes to mind (and remains unreported) is the case of a customer who made life-changing decisions based on her perception of 'psychic guidance and advice'. She made a drastic life decision when she was under extreme duress. She has not reported the matter to authorities because she recognises her responsibility for the events. However, she now has to work on releasing guilt and forgiving herself. Her case relates to attending a psychic for advice about a high-risk surgery recommended for her child diagnosed with a terminal illness. The surgery was 'state of the art' and essentially 'trials' and carried fatality risks and no improvement in life quality post-surgery if the child survived. Certain conditions had to be in place for the surgery to go ahead. The mother stated that after watching the psychic performing on TV and reading his feedback and reviews, he was the 'best person to tell her what to do. She made an appointment, paid an exorbitant fee, and was on a six-month waitlist. Even before meeting with him, her logic and cognition were impaired at this stage. Our Authentic psychics state that:
The mother stated that the medicos deferred surgery multiple times over the next nine months. Her child continued to experience deteriorating health, and the conditions were not conducive to surgery because of the risk of death during surgery. Medicos attempted to persuade the family not to go ahead with the surgery because of the increased surgery risk. The mother persisted and convinced her child to have the surgery. She was deluding herself and her child that the reading she had received nine months earlier remained relevant. The surgeons performed the surgery, and the child passed away and only became lucid for a few brief moments before passing - and she wasn't there at the time. Was the psychic irresponsible and guilty of misconduct? As a professional and recognised psychic, it is unlikely that this psychic would not adhere to the Psychic Code of Ethics. Ethical Psychics will ensure that they tell the Customer, that predictions are never one hundred per cent and that they can change depending on environmental and other factors. Ethical Psychics will also say to the Customer that "psychic readings do not replace appropriate medical or professional advice". Do we blame the mother for trying to extend her child's life and deluding herself and her child about a positive outcome? I don't believe so. At the same time, while the child's terminal diagnosis, the mother is locked in more trauma and grief because she blames herself for his early demise. Realistically and practically, if the mother had not tried, she would have blamed herself for 'not doing everything in her power' to try and extend his life. Grieving is a complex matter. Industrial Regulation The idea of Industrial regulating sounds appealing but raises questions about regulating faith and belief. How does a person control a spiritual industry? The unethical will always find a way around the rules. References Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, [ACCC], (2022). Types of Scams: Psychic and Clairvoyant. Retrieved from https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/buying-or-selling/psychic-clairvoyant Landy, S. (2013, November 20). Herald Sun. Victorians being fleeced in scams by pretend psychics. Retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/victorians-being-fleeced-in-scams-by-pretend-psychics/news-story/dd8584e2f141d7fb3dc76072415d1978 Mangan, J. (2008, May 4). The Age: Psychics may face regulations to tell which is witch. Retrieved from https://www.theage.com.au/national/psychics-may-face-regulations-that-help-tell-which-is-witch-20080504-ge71dv.html Noll, E. (2010, May 8). ABC News. Psychic hotline secrets: Clairvoyance or Hoax? Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/psychic-reveals-tricks-trade/story?id=10590096
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AuthorAnah is a Psychic Medium, who is "bridging the gap" between spirit and mainstream. Her approach is direct, honest and forthright, with a view to empowering people in their physical lives to a greater fulfillment. Anah firmly believes that spirit is the gift to us to empower us to make healthy life choices in the physical and for this reason after many years of focussing on spiritual, metaphysical and "alternative" therapies, Anah decided to study Mental Health and build the bridge between Mind/Heart and physical.She is currently studying toward her Bachelor of Social Work. Anah is also a thinker and reflector and this is reflected in her blogs - she encourages people to question themselves and their motives and to take responsibility for their reactions. Anah hopes to assist people to "think outside the box" and to find their own personal truth. Archives
March 2023
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