Exchanging money for spiritual services is definitely nothing new, and unfortunately neither is trying to scam people by offering sham services. The rise in acceptability of things like tarot or energy work has led to a rash of people who are taking advantage of others who either don't know enough to see who is legit and who isn't or preying on the fears of the unknown.
There are a lot of red flags out there when it comes to spiritual services, but there is also a lot of grey areas. Sometimes, it's pretty simple to see when someone is taking advantage, but other times it can be harder to pick up on. At the end of the day, you really have to trust your instincts, and if you get a bad feeling about someone, pass them by!
One of my absolute no-go's is anyone pretending to be someone they are not. I'm not talking about using a mystical name, as that is not only a well established practice, but often a measure of protection for the person taking on the name (especially if you live in an area where you might not want everyone who knows you (like your family, or your employer) to know that you have this spiritual practice.
No, what I'm talking about is people who copy other people's profiles, steal someone else's social media photos or claim to be a member of a specific group or tradition (when they clearly are not). Typically, with a little bit of looking, it's easy to see when someone is straight up copying someone else's profile...they add in an extra letter or punctuation. And often, these profile scammers will be very aggressive in trying to get you to purchase their services.
When I say they are aggressive, what I'm talking about is when they send out personal messages telling people they 'had a message from spirit that you really need to hear!' Now, marketing your skills is one thing, but the difference here is that they take it to a personal place (a private message that no one else can see), and it's unsolicited (you may follow their profile or have liked/commented on a post...but you never asked about what kind of services they offer).
Another personal red flag I have is when someone starts pushing for you to buy things when you have already said you can't afford it...if anyone suggests you spend money you don't have, that's a huge warning sign! Similar to this is if they imply that you should lie to your loved ones about either the service you are getting or the money you spent on it.
I also find it a bit concerning if you purchase a service and they try to sell you other things through fear. I don't have a problem with them saying something like, "I hope you enjoyed this reading, if you have more questions, I'd be happy to help you with those. I also offer these other services if you are interested." However, if they lead with something like this, "I see dark energy around you, there are forces working against you....I can do something about that for a price...." that sends of warning bells to me.
Something that is a bit related, but also very personal, is just the amount being charged. Everyone has a different budget, so what is out of my price range might not be a big deal to someone else. I also think it's fine for someone to explain why their service is worth what they are charging (as many things have hidden costs, and also you are often paying for years of experience and expertise). But this goes back to the point about someone trying to convince you to spend money you don't have...if they try to convince you that you 'need' a particular service that you feel is too expensive, that tends to send me away even quicker.
And sometimes, I feel like people are trying to sell things that not everyone needs. Things like moon water or blessed crystals. And sure, there are people who may find these services very convenient (it's like buying pre-chopped produce at the store...it saves you doing the prep work at home), other people may have no need for them, and trying to convince them that your product is something they need is a bit skeevy.
Finally, I do feel that some services just aren't things that you can sell. I've seen people offer to sell their relationship with a deity or spirit. That's just weird to me. That's like trying to sell your friendship...not even trying to sell your friend, but the relationship you have built with your friend. I'm honestly pretty sure that can't be done. Doing it with a deity or spirit sounds like a great way to make that deity or spirit mad (I know that if one of my friends came up to me one day and said "Hey, I sold our friendship to this other guy, treat him like you did me from now on," I'd be pretty mad at the both of them)
It can definitely be tricky to figure out who is legit and who is just in it for the money. And I also know it can be a very fine line to walk as someone who sells spiritual services, because you have to get the word out, you have to keep selling yourself and trying to get people to buy from you. Hopefully, some of these points will help you see who is honestly trying to help you (through the services they offer you) and who is just trying to use you (and get as much money from you as they can).
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