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| The Astro/Psychic Scamming Danger Zone The following are a few suggested “red flags” to watch for that serve as warning signals that you may be entering the Astrologer/Psychic Scamming Danger Zone:
Sadly enough, you'll most often find these expensive targeted astro/psychic web ads located at otherwise benign astrology sites that are hoping to make a few extra bucks by allowing 3rd party advertisements on their site. Don't kid yourself. These advertisers pay big, big, big bucks for the opportunity to tempt you with clicking on one of their targeted advertising offers for a free horoscope reading and/or report. Assuming you weren’t born yesterday, common sense should tell you that there’s 99.99999987% of the time a “catch” of some sort. Problem is that scammers know that many of us just can’t seem to turn down the possibility of getting something for nothing. Bait
and Switch No problem there. While it's obviously a wee bit irritating, I would not consider this (by itself) a scam per se. We all know that businesses of all shapes, sizes, and stripes do this sort of thing all the time. It’s called “bait and switch.” Unfortunately, in the typical scam, when you sign up for the free email horoscopes, forecasts, or readings offered– then in future emails you'll need to purchase overly priced "magical" items or further paid readings to avoid great peril that the scammer has supposedly seen coming your way. The problem is, for folks such as us who do believe that these sorts of things are within the realm of possibility; this is a great hook! It irresistibly preys on all of our greatest hopes and fears. Beating
The Odds - Not A Ghost of a Chance Or is it more likely that you’re about to end up in the Scamming Danger Zone and on the mailing list of a scammer that will now be intermittently hitting you up to buy increasingly more expensive readings to improve your luck or to ward off unforeseen and looming evils. Again...if you find that you just can't control yourself; then - before you send them your invaluable email address in order to get your free personal reading - do an Internet search of the astro/psychic's name. If you find sites devoted to warning other folks about that individual's business practices, then at least you've been forewarned. back to Danger Scamming Zone list If
It's Spam, It's Scam So before you blissfully sign up for that free daily horoscope or free reading at a reputable site, be sure to first check out that site's privacy policy. Take special note if they have a policy of selling your name and email address to 3rd parties. (For example, see Dr Z's Privacy Policy.) Once you actually start receiving unsolicited emails from astro/psychics with whom you have not previously done business, then - the moment you begin reading those emails - you may be entering the Astro/Psychic Scamming Danger Zone. Run,
Bambi, Run! The fact is that no astrologer and/or psychic has seen your name on a list and then - out of the goodness of their heart - decided to do a free personal reading just for you. It doesn’t happen. Let me repeat that... it doesn't happen. Remain calm at this point. Stand up. Now ever so slowly walk away from the computer screen. If you find that you still just can't seem to control yourself, then do an Internet search of the astro/psychic's name. While certainly not always the case and/or foolproof, one can sometimes find sites devoted to warning other folks about that individual's business practices. back to Danger Scamming Zone list Nifty
Fifty Get this… folks in the US who are 65+ years old, and account for about 12% of the US population, are the victims of 33% or more of the blatant, outright fraudulent scams perpetrated each year. If you’ve ever signed up for virtually anything at virtually anywhere and in some manner shared the information that you’re 50+ years old, then you now need to keep on your toes. You’re being targeted. And the older you get, the more you’re being targeted. It’s a crying shame, ain’t it? back to Danger Scamming Zone list Magical
Good Luck Items I don't know about you, but my best good luck charms have been items that weren't originally good luck charms - a lucky hat, a lucky shirt, a lucky medallion, a lucky stone, etc. Still... I have no real problem with the selling of inexpensive good luck charms. However, the selling of magical good luck items really gets down and nasty - entering the realm of being a full scale scam - when coupled with predictions of dire circumstances that are coming your way. The astrologer/psychic then suggests that you need to buy a particular item in order to ward off an evil that they’ve seen coming your way. The item always tends to be semi-expensive, but not expensive enough to keep you from buying it as an insurance policy. If they manage to snag you once with the semi-expensive item… then they’ll eventually attempt to snag you again with an even more expensive item to now ward off an even more dire and noxious evil that’s coming your way. Astrological
Images and Talisman I am personally aware of only one reputable individual on the Web who is offering this sort of traditional service based on traditional Renaissance concepts. I’d guess that there might be a handful of other reputable folks offering this service that I’m unaware of. This particular person offers a remarkable amount of information on his site about the historical Renaissance practice of constructing an astrologically based talisman. This particular individual doesn't have a practice of hitting you up to buy more and more increasingly expensive astrological images in order to ward off unforeseen and looming evils about to come your way. back to Danger Scamming Zone list Summing
up: Look for these red flags and beware:
Use a little common sense, and you'll likely be okay. And please remember that opportunity knocks; but temptation knocks the door down! Lists of Astro/Psychic Scammers
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