About 60 percent of people believe in psychic abilities. This is why so many people visit clairvoyants to learn more about their love life, figure out their next career move, or communicate with a lost loved one. However, when you seek a psy chic, you will need more than just a belief in the paranormal. You will also need to do your research. Check out some of these tips to ensure you’re getting an authentic psychic experience.

Learn About Common Scams

Conmen often use many of the same techniques. If you’re familiar with some of the popular schemes, you can avoid many fake psychics and scams. One of the oldest scams in the book centers around bad luck curses. This is when a psychic says there is a dark presence or curse around you and that you must come in to cure yourself of the negativity. However, don’t be duped. Psychics cannot cast spells or ward off any curses. You should also avoid any psychic offering to cure illnesses or to make someone fall in love with you. Other things to watch out for are overly aggressive marketing techniques and emails that target you by offering partial readings.

Do Your Research

In the age of the Internet, we can now find out just about everything we need with a simple search. When you settle on a psychic, look them up online and see what other people have said about him or her. Reputation matters a lot in the psychic community, so if you can’t find any information about the psychic, you may want to try to see someone else.

Never Share Your Personal Information

Just like how you would protect yourself from any other scammer, you also shouldn’t give psychics too much personal information. Make wise decisions and be sure that you never share your social security number, bank account info, or any other sensitive data. This will not help you connect with your psychic any more, and you should be wary of any psychics that are too pushy with asking for this information. You may also want to consider paying with a protective card service like PayPal, Authorize.net, or Google Wallet.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

If you do get scammed, don’t fret. Many people end up in your shoes, and the best thing to do is to stay calm and smart. First, ask the psychic for a refund. If he or she refuses, reach out to your bank to report the scam and attempt to block the transaction. Then, report the scammer to the local authorities and post a negative review about him or her on an internet referral site like Yelp. This will warn other people and prevent them from falling victim to the scam.

Psychic readings are a wonderful way to gain insight into your life. However, just like anything else in your life, you need to stay vigilant. Do your research and protect yourself from those that intend to do you harm.

Writing by Jane Sandwood