Real.Good.News.

By Avery Finch, Senior Investigative Correspondent
January 20, 2026

In the age of digital enlightenment, the “Third Eye” has largely been replaced by the “Glass Screen.” While the 2020s saw a massive boom in remote spirituality, 2026 has ushered in an era where the most active spirits on social media are actually bot farms and opportunistic “lightworkers” with a heavy interest in your credit card details. While seeking guidance from the great beyond is a time-honored tradition, the line between “divine insight” and “downright fraud” has become dangerously thin.

The truth is, genuine spiritual workers rarely have time to chase you down. If you find yourself in the crosshairs of a “chosen” messenger, it’s likely your aura isn’t what’s glowing—it’s your digital footprint.

Here are five not-so-cosmic signs that your latest spiritual advisor is actually a professional pocket-picker.

1. The “Direct Message” Destiny
   Legitimate practitioners almost never “slide into your DMs” to tell you they’ve received an urgent message from your ancestors. If you receive an unsolicited message on Instagram or TikTok claiming they were “drawn to your energy,” consider yourself “drawn” to a scammer. Authentic psychics are usually booked out weeks in advance; they don’t have to cold-call the living to find clients.
2. The “Generational Curse” Paywall
   One of the oldest tricks in the book is the sudden discovery of a “dark cloud” or “ancestral curse” looming over you. In 2026, scammers have updated this pitch to include “energetic blocks” or “vibrational parasites”. The hallmark of this scam is that the psychic is the only person who can remove it—for a fee that is suspiciously higher than the initial reading cost.
3. The “Specific Vague-ness” of the Reading
   Scammers rely heavily on “cold reading”—making broad statements that could apply to anyone. If your psychic tells you that you’ve “been through a difficult time recently” or that “someone with a name starting with ‘M’ is watching over you,” they aren’t channelers; they’re just reading the odds. A true practitioner should provide details that don’t fit 90% of the population.
4. The Guaranteed “Happily Ever After”
   Genuine psychics provide guidance and possibilities, not guarantees. If an advisor promises you will find your soulmate by next Tuesday or win the lottery if you light their $500 “Abundance Candle,” you’re being sold a fantasy. Future outcomes are fluid; anyone claiming they can “change your fate” for a price is simply changing their own bank balance.
5. The “Fear or Favor” Pressure Tactic
   If your session ends with you feeling terrified rather than grounded, something is wrong. Scammers use fear to create dependency, often warning that something “terrible” will happen if you don’t book another session immediately. Spiritual guidance should empower you, not leave you shaking your wallet at a stranger to stop a hypothetical disaster.
   
   In an era where “vibes” are often used to mask a lack of verifiable integrity, your best defense isn’t a sage bundle—it’s your own critical thinking. A genuine spiritual connection should act as a bridge to your own inner authority, not a leash that keeps you tethered to a stranger’s PayPal account. If the “universe” is speaking to you primarily through scare tactics and high-interest invoices, it’s time to hang up the spiritual phone. True enlightenment is about clarity and empowerment, and as the saying goes, the truth is free; it’s the lies that will cost you everything you’ve got.