Quick guide
A mediocre tarot reader wastes your money once. A scam artist keeps coming back for more, and the pattern is recognisable. The core move is the curse-removal scam: a cheap or free reading turns up a dark presence, a curse, or a block, and the reader offers to clear it for a fee. The first fee is small. Then the work fails because of interference, or the curse is older than expected, and the next fee is larger. Payment shifts from the platform to e-transfer, gift cards or crypto, and you are told to keep it all secret. This article lists twelve warning signs in a table, walks through how the escalation works, and sets out what to do if you have already paid: stop paying, gather the messages and receipts, ask your bank or card issuer about a chargeback, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and tell someone you trust. It also explains the difference between a weak reading, which is a normal risk of buying an interpretive service, and fraud, which is a crime with a script. Knowing the script is most of the protection.
Twelve warning signs, in order of seriousness
The signs below run from mild to serious. The first few describe a reader who is fishing, pushy, or simply not very good; you can end the call and move on. The middle group describes manipulation of your emotions and your judgement. The last group describes fraud, and any one of them is enough to stop, keep records, and report. The table gives each sign, what it looks like in practice, and what to do. Notice that the serious signs all involve money moving in a direction you cannot reverse: away from a platform, into gift cards, e-transfers or crypto, and in growing amounts. Notice too that the emotional signs, fear and secrecy, are what make the money signs work. A reader who frightens you and then isolates you has removed the two things that would stop the next payment: calm and a second opinion.
| Warning sign | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fishing for information | A stream of questions before any reading, then your answers reflected back as insight | Notice who is supplying the content; end the call if it is you |
| 2. Vague, all-purpose statements | Lines that fit anyone, such as a struggle you keep private or a person from the past | Treat as a weak reading, not fraud; do not rebook |
| 3. Pressure to keep going | The reading cannot finish, a message is coming through, the clock keeps running | Hang up; billing stops when you do |
| 4. Unsolicited follow-up | Calls, texts or emails saying they sensed something urgent about you | Block and delete; an urgent unsolicited message is a sales tactic |
| 5. Fear as the theme | Talk of darkness, danger, enemies, or someone wishing you harm | Note it; fear is the setup for the sale that follows |
| 6. A curse, hex or block | You are told you or your family carry negative energy that explains your problems | Stop the session; nobody can curse you and nobody can sell removal |
| 7. Paid cleansing or removal | Candles, prayers, rituals or work on your behalf for a fee | Do not pay; this is the scam itself, not a service |
| 8. Escalating fees | The first fee was small; the work failed or the curse is stronger; the next fee is larger | Stop paying regardless of what has already been spent |
| 9. Off-platform payment | Requests for e-transfer, gift cards, crypto, wire or a direct card number | Refuse; these payments cannot be disputed |
| 10. Secrecy | You must not tell family or friends or the work will fail | Tell someone today; secrecy exists to stop that |
| 11. Medical claims | The reader senses illness, or tells you to stop treatment or medication | End contact and speak to a doctor |
| 12. Holding your property | Asking you to hand over cash, jewellery or items to be cleansed and returned later | Refuse; report to police if items or money were taken |
How the curse-removal scam escalates
The scam follows a script because the script works. Stage one is the hook: a low-cost reading, sometimes free, often after an unsolicited message saying the reader sensed something about you. Stage two is the diagnosis: partway through, the reader goes quiet, looks troubled, and says there is a darkness, a curse from a jealous person, or a block from a past life. This is framed as the real cause of whatever you came to ask about. Stage three is the small fee: a candle to be burned, a prayer to be said, an amount that seems reasonable for peace of mind. Stage four is the failure: the work did not take, the curse is older or stronger, or your doubt interfered, so more is needed, and the amount rises. Stage five is the shift: payment moves off the platform to e-transfer, gift cards or crypto, and you are told to keep everything secret because talking breaks the work. Stage six is the squeeze: the reader now knows your fears, your finances and your isolation, and the demands continue until you stop or run out. People who reach stage six are not foolish; they were worked by someone practised at it.
- 1. HookA cheap or free reading, often after an unsolicited message that the reader sensed something about you.
- 2. DiagnosisA curse, dark presence or block is found and named as the real cause of your problem.
- 3. Small fee, then failureA candle or prayer for a modest sum; the work fails and a larger sum is needed.
- 4. Isolation and squeezePayment moves off platform, secrecy is demanded, and requests continue until you stop.
What to do if you have already paid
First, stop paying. The sunk amount is gone; the only money you control is the next payment, and the script is built to make the next one feel necessary. Second, gather everything: screenshots of messages, receipts, e-transfer confirmations, platform transaction records, and dates. Third, contact your bank or credit card issuer, explain that you were defrauded, and ask about a chargeback or a fraud claim. Card payments and platform payments are the most recoverable; e-transfers and gift cards are rarely recovered, but reporting still matters. Fourth, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which records these cases and passes patterns to police, and to the platform if one was involved, because it can remove the reader. Fifth, tell someone you trust. The secrecy demand is the scam’s main defence, and saying it out loud to a friend or family member breaks it. If items or cash were handed over in person, report to your local police as well. If you feel ashamed, know that the people who run these scams are skilled and select for kindness and worry, not for gullibility. Our guide to what to do when a reading goes wrong covers the platform refund process, and protecting your privacy during a reading explains how to limit what a reader can learn about you.
- Stop all payments now, whatever has already been spent.
- Save messages, receipts, transaction records and dates.
- Call your bank or card issuer and ask about a chargeback or fraud claim.
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and to the platform, if any.
- Tell one person you trust what happened.
- If cash or items were taken in person, report to local police.
A mediocre reading versus fraud
It helps to separate two things that feel similar in the moment. A mediocre reading is one where the reader was vague, fished for information, or said little you could use. That is disappointing, and it is a normal risk of paying for an interpretive service; the response is to use the satisfaction policy if there is one and not to rebook. Fraud is different in kind. It has a script, it manufactures fear, it moves money off the platform, and it demands secrecy. The test is simple: did the reader ask for more money to fix a problem they themselves discovered? If yes, it is fraud, however gentle the delivery. A weak reader costs you one session. A scam costs you a sequence of payments, your privacy, and often your relationships, because secrecy pulls you away from the people who would have said stop. Our guide to finding the right psychic in Canada explains how to vet a reader in advance, and why different psychics give different results explains the ordinary variation that is not a warning sign at all.
A weak reading looks like
- Vague statements that could fit anyone
- Questions that let the reader build a picture from your answers
- A style that does not suit you
- Nothing you can use afterwards
- The fix: do not rebook; use the refund policy if there is one
Fraud looks like
- A problem the reader discovered and can fix for a fee
- Fear, urgency and a growing sequence of payments
- Payment pushed off the platform
- Instructions to keep it secret
- The fix: stop, record, chargeback, report, tell someone
Key takeaways
- The curse-removal scam has a script: hook, diagnosis, small fee, failure, off-platform payment, secrecy, squeeze.
- Any request for money to remove a curse, block or negative energy is the scam itself, not a service.
- Off-platform payment and secrecy are the two signs that turn a bad reading into fraud.
- If you have paid: stop, save records, ask your card issuer about a chargeback, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, tell someone.
- A vague or unhelpful reading is a normal risk of the service; do not rebook, and use the refund policy.
- Health claims from any reader are unsafe; symptoms and medication go to a doctor.
Related reading
- How to find the right psychic in Canada
- What happens when you are unsatisfied with your psychic reading
- How to protect your privacy during a phone psychic reading
- Phone psychic reading costs in Canada
- Different psychics, different results?
- The tarot cards that you hope to never see
Frequently asked questions
1. Can someone really put a curse on me?
No. There is no evidence that anyone can curse another person, and no evidence that rituals, candles or prayers sold by a reader remove anything. The curse is invented to explain your problem and to create a service to sell. When a reader raises it, the reading has become a sales pitch, and the right response is to end the session.
2. Why do curse-removal fees keep rising?
Because the script requires it. The first fee is set low to get a yes. Once you have paid, you are invested, and the reader explains that the work failed or the problem is bigger, which makes the next fee feel like protecting what you already spent. The amounts rise until you stop or cannot pay.
3. Is it fraud if the reader seemed kind and sincere?
Yes, if money was requested to fix a problem the reader discovered. Delivery does not change the pattern. Skilled operators are warm and patient because warmth works better than pressure. Judge by the structure, fear plus a paid fix plus escalation, not by how the reader made you feel.
4. What is the single clearest sign of a scam?
A request for money to remove a curse, block, hex or negative energy. Close behind are moving payment off the platform to e-transfer, gift cards or crypto, and being told to keep the work secret. Any one of these is enough to stop, keep records and report.
5. Are tarot readers who ask lots of questions scamming me?
Usually not. Asking what you want to focus on is normal. A reader who asks many personal questions and then reflects your answers back as insight is using a technique, not a scam, and the result is a weak reading rather than fraud. The line is crossed when fear and a paid fix appear.
6. What should I do first if I have already paid a scammer?
Stop paying. Nothing you have spent can be protected by paying more; the script is designed to make the next payment feel necessary. Then save every message and receipt, contact your bank or card issuer, and report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Do these the same day if you can.
7. Can I get my money back?
Sometimes. Credit card and platform payments can often be disputed as fraud, so call your card issuer quickly and explain what happened. E-transfers, gift cards and crypto are rarely recoverable, but report them anyway, because reports help stop the same operator. A platform can also remove the reader and refund recent charges.
8. Why does reporting matter if I cannot recover the money?
Because these scams run on repetition. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre collects reports, spots patterns, and passes information to police. Your report can be the one that connects several cases. Reporting also breaks the secrecy the scam relies on, which makes it harder for the reader to continue with you.
9. The reader told me not to tell anyone. Why?
Because the people around you would say stop. Secrecy is not part of any spiritual practice; it is the scam’s defence against a second opinion. Telling one trusted person is the single most effective thing you can do, both to stop the payments and to feel less alone with it.
10. Is asking for a gift card ever legitimate?
No. No reputable reader or platform is paid in gift cards, and the same goes for crypto and wire transfers to individuals. These methods are chosen because they cannot be reversed. If a reader asks for them, the reading is over and the records go to your bank and the Anti-Fraud Centre.
11. What if the reader says they sense an illness?
End the session and speak to a doctor about any symptom that worries you. No reader can detect or diagnose illness, and a reader who tells you to stop medication or treatment is putting you in danger. This sign is serious on its own, even without any request for money.
12. How is a bad reading different from a scam?
A bad reading is vague, unhelpful or a poor fit; it costs one session and the fix is not to rebook. A scam has a script: a discovered problem, a paid fix, escalating fees, off-platform payment and secrecy. Ask whether the reader asked for money to fix something they found. If so, it is fraud.
13. Are unsolicited messages from a reader always a scam?
Any message saying the reader sensed something urgent about you and you must call is a sales tactic at best and a hook at worst. Legitimate readers do not chase clients with warnings. Block and delete. If the message came through a platform, report it there as well.
14. Can this happen with phone readings, not just in person?
Yes. The pattern is identical on the phone, by video and by chat; only the delivery changes. In-person versions sometimes add a demand to hand over cash or jewellery to be cleansed. Phone versions rely more on repeated calls and off-platform payment links. The warning signs and the response are the same.
15. How can I avoid this in the first place?
Vet before you pay: choose readers with prices in Canadian dollars, written refund policies and reviews spread over time, keep payment on the platform, and share only a first name and a question. Decide in advance that any mention of a curse, block or illness ends the call, so that you do not have to decide under pressure.
16. I feel embarrassed that I paid. Is that normal?
It is common and it is misplaced. These operators select for kindness, worry and loyalty, and they are practised at using all three. Embarrassment is what keeps people silent and paying. Talking to someone you trust, and to your bank, is the way out, and anyone in distress can call or text 9-8-8 at any time.
Evidence note: Curse-removal and cleansing-for-money schemes are recognised fraud patterns tracked by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and by police forces across Canada. There is no evidence that curses exist or that any purchased ritual removes anything. Tarot and psychic readings are interpretive conversations; a vague or unhelpful reading is a consumer disappointment, while a paid fix for a problem the reader found is fraud. Recovery of funds depends on the payment method, so contact your card issuer quickly. Health symptoms go to a doctor, and anyone in crisis can call or text 9-8-8.
The point about not being charged exorbitant fees for ‘healing’ or ‘cleansing’ is essential. Genuine professionals should offer reasonable advice or refer you to competent help if needed.
This article provides valuable insights into identifying dubious tarot readers. It’s crucial for people seeking such services to be aware of these red flags to avoid being misled.
Advising secrecy is indeed a red flag. Transparency and the ability to share and discuss one’s tarot readings is fundamental to ensuring that the process remains open and honest.
The advice on dealing with questionable marketing tactics is particularly relevant. Many individuals fall prey to fear-based emails, and it’s important to know when to block or delete such messages.
I appreciate the emphasis on personal empowerment. Understanding that no one else has power over our destiny unless we allow it is a significant takeaway from this article.