how to spot spiritual scammers
We tend, in our world of automated scams, to mistakenly blame both the scammer and the scammed. Time to set the record. The basic tenets of commerce: you pay for a service, you receive the goods. It’s only with the explosion of online sales that scams have sky-rocketed.
Important! “How to spot and avoid scams”: Your go-to scam checklist.
On this background, we introduce the world of New Age spirituality.
A hotspot for vague notions of expansion and impenetrable buzzwords.A confusing narrative which the consumer is expected to trust at face value. If there’s one thing about a consumerist society, it’s straightforward: make profit.
The cult-like language of New Age essentially befuddles consumers into unregulated business proceedings. The most famous of these? The Curse.
“CashApp me [some Godforsaken amount] and I will pluck a generational curse from your bloodline. P.S. Send immediately ".
Note the abundant CashApp scams.
Because the service does not offer the same fraud protection services as other online payment systems. Yep, like the ubiquitous PayPal, crap for business owners…but a tale for another time”.
Naturally, if New Age lacks transparency, consumers accept a degree of structural confusion. Likely attributed to mysticism. Red flag.
Don’t get me wrong— I’ll never argue against the validity of conceptual psychic phenomena.
P.S. (!) Here’s an interesting article explaining preliminary studies into psychic brain activity.
The issue is when people believe the psychic experience as the key to life. While New Age services are useful tools, how can they explain mundane, daily life? Back to our consumerist society.
As we survive by making money, we can be sure that everyone is looking to make buck. Asking someone for a chunk of their savings in the absence of clear service terms reads as a scam.
And yes, it does amuse me, considering service terms for curse removal. $2000 to wipe a folk curse; $4000 to detach a demon. A $1000 return if bad things keep happening.
The monetary breakdown does, rightfully, appear ridiculous. Let's consider a smaller investment. Say a candle to negate negative energy, at $50. The service makes more sense to those who believe in this area of spirituality. If nothing comes of the investment, at the very least, you’ve forfeited a meagre sum.
Considering those pretending to be someone they’re not, we’re inevitably driven to the world of Instagram. At one point, "Verified Accounts" authenticated existing account owners. But now, the label's thrown at any platform.
Fraud Alert #2. Payment provider account names that do not correlate with their claimed business name.
And I’d recommend seriously considering any account name.
Do not send emergency healing sums to Account provider: THE Nigerian Prince. Any wannabe sale fosters a sense of urgency. Do not respond to unsolicited requests for immediate action. Unless, you’re sure it’s the debt collector. Even then…
In the vein of psychological tactics, it gets quite dark. Watch out for any signs of abuse, where a seller may groom you. Essentially, create a dependent relationship, so that you rely on what they both represent and sell.
Not a conspiracy.
Most searching for spiritual meaning are unsatisfied with their current circumstances, some in deep pain. This creates vulnerability, as they seek what resonates with them.
Meaning- they're susceptible to psychological control. Sellers eager for ongoing dividends may establish a relationship fast. They may love bomb, acting as your hype man, so that you seek the interaction to feel loved-up.
Next, isolation, sparking rifts, to evolve into your best social support. Also expect the comedown, abusing you, to feed co-dependency.
Full disclaimer; psychological warfare is not the norm (but happens).
So, scams exist on many levels, and on numerous platforms. Especially in the cloud of New Age.
Consumers, familiar with the business' lack of clarity, accept exaggerated claims with little enquiry. Spawning the familiar Curse scam.
General misinformation regarding scams only adds to their unique vulnerability. The unsuspecting customer travels down a road of empty promises.
Sometimes they're manipulated on the way. And by Verified Instagram Buyers who are not so. At the end of the day, consumers do well to expect a scam. And question everything at least once.