Scams and con artists can be in any field.
Unfortunately, ghost hunting is especially vulnerable to people whose primary interests are financial gain, celebrity status, or power.
- I’m not talking about people who mistakenly think they’re more skilled than they really are.
I mean the people who look you straight in the eye and tell you lies for personal and/or professional gain.
If you join a group with a self-styled guru, or a con artist works his (or her) way into your circle of friends, here’s what you need to know.
The first rule is: Never give or loan money to anyone without getting a receipt. I don’t care how nice the person seems. If it’s a loan, have the terms in writing before you give the person anything.
And, never give or loan money that you can’t afford to lose.
Keep your money safe. Then, look for other signs of a scam or a con artist.
- Con artists are charming.
They’re usually fun to be with. They tell great stories, and they seem to have lived the kind of life you’d like to live. They seem to be successful or they look like rising stars. Around them, you may feel as if you have a connection with greatness. - Con artists collect friends as quickly as possible.
This is partly because they’ll lose so many of them, as people become suspicious of what’s going on. But, the larger their apparent entourage or fan club, the more you’re likely to believe their extravagant claims. You aren’t likely to suspect that dozens (or hundreds) of friends and fans have been deceived, too. - Con artists seem to have dazzling credentials.
Their friends are famous people. Their degrees (or titles) are impressive. They talk about their past experiences and current connections, pending TV shows and events they’re planning. Their claims are so extravagant, you think, “Who’d make this up?” - Con artists separate people so they don’t swap notes.
A con artist leads you to believe that you’re one of the only people he likes and trusts. He’ll say that he doesn’t trust this person and then that one. Following his advice, you’ll stay away from them, too, even if you used to be good friends. The con artist knows that, if you all got together and exchanged stories, his lies might be exposed.
The con artists’ larger-than-life claims lead to their downfall. They simply can’t stop lying for very long… and they’re often lying on a grand scale.
It’s vital to check the person’s claims and credentials. Check all of them, not just the first few that he or she mentions. (I’ll talk about the con artist as if the person is male. However, female con artists can be just as prevalent as male con artists.)
Types of claims
If someone claims to have written books in this field, that’s an easy one to check: Go to Amazon.com and see his (or her) author page. Check his (or her) name as an author in any Books in Print listing at your local bookstore or public library. Or, ask who his publisher is, and call them.
If someone claims to speak at national or international events, a quick Google search should tell you when and where the person was one of the main speakers or celebrity guests.
Let’s say that he claims a degree or a title, such as ‘doctor’ or ‘reverend’. Ask what kind of degree (or title) it is, and where it came from. Anyone can become a legally ordained minister, for little or no expense, through the Universal Life Church and similar organizations. http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination
Some con artists claim far loftier credentials. If it’s a degree from a university, you can check the alumni records office to find out if the person is actually a graduate of the school, college or program. Many schools proudly post online a list of some of their graduates. You can also use classmate directories, online, for more information.
If someone claims a British (or other) hereditary title, you can check Wikipedia. It lists the qualified holders of hereditary titles, including their actual surnames, and when the title was created.
Here’s one page at Wikipedia, listing those who hold the British title of Marquess: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_marquessates_in_the_peerages_of_the_British_Isles
If the person’s title is vague but you know their legal surname, David Beamish maintains a list of members of the United Kingdom peerage from 1801 to the present day, and he has indexed it.
It’s online at http://website.lineone.net/~david.beamish/peerages_az.htm and other pages at that website.
If the person claims to have worked with or for a celebrity, you can confirm that. Find the official website of the celebrity, and contact the person’s manager or press agent. Ask if the celebrity has worked for or with the person who’s making the claim.
Frankly, anyone can get their photo taken with a celebrity. Some celebs charge a fee for it; others regard it as publicity. Either way, posing next to a famous (or even somewhat-famous) paranormal investigator does not mean they’re working together… or even friends.
If the person claims to have been a paranormal investigator for many years, there should be clear evidence of that, online. Even if the person didn’t have his own website, other people will have mentioned the person, at least in reference to a case, a “ghost story” or an investigation.
You can see how long ago they registered their domain name by using a WhoIs lookup.
I’m not being critical of people who are new to the field; many of them are excellent researchers. The focus of this article is on the lies that reveal a scam or a con artist.
If someone actually got into ghost research a year and a half ago but is claiming “many years” in the field… watch out!
If someone suggests that they’ve been on a TV or radio show, or appeared on stage, you can check that online. Go to the show’s official website and search for the person’s name.
(Remember that anyone can add a comment after an article or in a forum, making it appear that someone was in a show. You’re looking for official cast lists and official lists of the guest stars on the show.)
Here are a few links to TV shows:
- Ghost Hunters (Also see TAPS official website)
- Ghost Hunters International
- Most Haunted [UK] (The cast list is also at Wikipedia.)
- Paranormal State
- Dead Famous
- MTV ‘Fear’ (not ‘Fear Factor’)
- VH1 ‘Celebrity Paranormal’
- Ghost Whisperer
The truth will set you (and maybe a few other people) free
These are just a few of the claims that people can make, trying to find a shortcut to fame or fortune. Sometimes they’re interested in money. Others are more interested in being famous, or feeling a sense of power or control over others.
Thanks to the Internet, almost any person’s claims and credentials can be verified using independent sources.
Don’t assume that the person is “too nice” to lie to you, or their friends are too bright to be conned. The more impressive the person’s stories and claims, and the more convincingly they tell them… the more you must verify them, independently.
If the person is a con artist, it’s better to find out early. Thankfully, scams and con artists are a tiny minority. (To quote the movie, Grease, “They’re amoebas on fleas on rats.”)
Avoid them when you can.
Though it’s important to be watchful for scams and con artists, it’s also important to keep things in perspective.
The vast majority of people who work in paranormal fields are like you. They’re kind, sincere and genuine. You’ll meet many of them at events, investigations, and in the field. They deserve your friendship and admiration, and they make ghost hunting even more personally rewarding.
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This article is part of my free course, Introduction to Ghost Hunting.
It was originally designed as a four-week course sent via email, but now there’s an online version as well: 24 webpages. Four PDFs. Four MP3 recordings. After the last lesson, there’s a Certificate of Completion.
The most important articles from that course will be featured among the regular Hollow Hill pages, as well, so that people can search (and find) the information that they need.
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Update: If you’re dealing with fraud, contact your local district attorney’s office. For other legal concerns, see a lawyer.
This is not a forum for personal attacks. Further comments with that agenda will be deleted from the queue.
Hello Fiona! You author many great articles, but this one “Scams And Con Artists” shows us that you have the back of the paranormal community. By you posting this article, it shows that you are a concerned individual within this community! Thanks for the information. I have to say that had it been posted a few months earlier, I would be better off now! Thanks again for a wonderful article. Tom Lynch
Thanks, Tom! Like you, I wish I’d known the warning signs — and paid more attention to them — months ago.
I found more information this morning, at the Wikipedia entry for author and researcher Robert Cialdini:
So many of these points apply to tactics I’ve seen and heard about, lately… it’s chilling. By being aware of our vulnerabilities, we can protect ourselves from the occasional person (or people, since they often work in tandem) who may try to take advantage of how welcoming, inclusive and supportive we are in the paranormal community.
Awsome article Fiona! It’s getting really sad for paranormal researchers right now. I emailed a very popular theater near-by about an investigation. They were all for it, and I wanted to meet with the director to discuss a schedule. He didn’t reply for about a month. When I got one, he claimed he and his staff discussed that they were going to start charging 30 bucks per person as a “ghost tour”. He also made sure to include the link to the page discussing it. Ironically, it made sure to mention that the concession stand would be open. Go figure!
Thanks for the comment, Scott. The combination of a difficult economy and the fact that ghost hunting is a fading fad… too many people are trying to squeeze every last cent from it. Unfortunately, that’s driving people away from ghost hunting even faster. Even some serious researchers are taking time away from this work, until the madness subsides.
Regarding the theater: $30 a person is far better than the $1500+/night that I’ve heard requested by some locations. That said, the shoe seems to be on the wrong foot.
If they’re putting on a show, it’s fine to charge for the entertainment. (Opening the concession stand..? That sounds like a performance, to me!)
However, if they want serious researchers to investigate and confirm (or refute) the hauntings, the sites should be paying the researchers, not the other way around.
It’d be like charging an entertainment fee for a doctor to examine someone, to diagnose symptoms.
I’ll be glad when this silliness concludes, and people once again regard parapsychology as an important field of study, not a fast route to fame and fortune.
Fiona wrote “However, if they want serious researchers to investigate and confirm (or refute) the hauntings, the sites should be paying the researchers, not the other way around.”
Aside from the places that charge exorbitant amounts, I would not consider this to be a scam, though.
I’ve worked in a few haunted places and I’ve found that while they may be interested in having research done, it is in no way a priority for them that they would ever consider paying anyone to do it. They generally already know the place is haunted and getting proof is a matter of mild curiosity.
On the flip side, all of the haunted places I have worked at get a LOT of requests to do investigations there. What investigators don’t generally realize is that it takes staff time to deal with that. I work in a small historical house museum that has 3 regular staff members, none of whom work for full time pay despite often putting in full time hours just to make sure that the basic work gets done. Allowing someone in to do an investigation would require having at least one staff member be on site during the investigation for security purposes. For insurance purposes, this would have to be a paid staff member, not just a volunteer. The museum could not afford to pay them for the overtime, nor could it count as part of their regular work hours. So, they would have to be willing to do it on a unpaid basis. We get at least 2 requests a week from groups wanting to do investigations there. Even just the time it takes to handle the inquiries adds up. If they did allow the investigations, you also have to factor in the amount of staff time it takes to interview the investigators to make sure that they aren’t just thrill seekers, do a reference check, and to set up the investigations. Most places just don’t have the staffing to handle that. Even the large historic theater I used to work at dreaded getting inquiries about doing paranormal investigations there because they simply did not have the manpower to cover the extra work it would cause them. They did break down and compromise this past year by offering a ghost tour and classic horror movie package on Halloween for $20.
My experience is with the non-profit sector, but with the economy the way it is, it’s probably the same case in the for-profit sector.
If anyone wants more insight into why museums have the policies they do regarding paranormal research and how to work more effectively with them, I have a blog about that up at http://hauntedhistorycolumbus.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-work-with-museums.html
Hi Nellie,
I should probably have clarified what I was saying. I agree with you.
I have no problem when anyone is charging reasonably expenses for whatever they’re providing, on either side of this.
For example:
If someone wants me to investigate a site that’s over 100 miles away, I want them to cover my travel expenses. (That said, my current work rarely involves investigating private homes or businesses at the owners’ requests.)
If a site has to pay staff or even extra heat, a/c, and/or electric bills, I think it’s reasonable for them to charge if they’re opening the site at the request of the investigating team. (If the site is requesting an investigation to clarify a possible haunt at the site, that’s a different matter.)
I understand a site requiring a damage deposit, as well.
But, if it’s an event — something open to the public — and significant profits are involved, I think everyone who’s part of the event should have their expenses covered, at the very least. (However, when it’s a fundraiser for an historical site or other non-profit, I generally waive any fee and return most or all they’ve paid to cover my travel expenses.)
Where I have a big problem is when a site is charging $1000+ for an overnight investigation that simply involves unlocking the building, and there are no other expenses (real or potential) for the site.
My concerns are compounded if the site isn’t especially active and/or if groups are trooping through there weekly. In my opinion, there’s a good chance that the visits will dilute the energy and make serious investigations less productive. (By contrast, if people are just there for a “good scare,” the residual energy of successive, frightened individuals can actually increase the activity.)
As I said, I’m nodding in agreement with everything you’re saying, and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my earlier statement. Sometimes I post in haste, and don’t realize how general my comments may sound, especially to people who don’t know me in real life.
Cheerfully,
Fiona
Very well written ! I wish there was more info for the general public on this topic and the paranormal .People are falling victim and it makes us that have a passion for this hard to expose the field to the skeptics.
Thanks, Rich!
I wish more people would speak out about this, too. But, in some cases, they may not realize what’s going on. And, when they do figure it out… they’re embarrassed to admit that they were fooled.
The cons can be clever. I recently read an autobiography of an aspiring ghost hunter, who may have written his story to create an authentic-sounding resume. In one chapter, he talks about his dramatic encounter with a ghost in 2001. However, when I checked his story online… well, the encounter took place, but according to others who were there, it happened in 2004. (When I see one attempt to enhance a CV/resume, I suspect that there may be others.)
That’s the kind of subterfuge we have to look for, now. Parts of the stories will ring true, but others won’t. All I can recommend is: Check every reference, and every aspect of it.
As of late 2009, con artists mistakenly think that there’s a lot of money to be made in this field. (They’re wrong. Those of us who are serious about paranormal research generally rely on alternate income sources, so we can provide help free of charge.)
Once the con artists realize that this ghost hunting isn’t a get-rich-quick opportunity, they either move to another area (where their reputations aren’t so tarnished) or they leave the field altogether.
For as long as ghost-related TV shows remain popular, I think we’ll have to deal with this kind of nonsense. It’s not just the opening that this gives to skeptics, but the number of people who lose their faith in the entire paranormal field. Too many good researchers walk away from this work, disgusted.
Those of us who are legitimate paranormal researchers must take extreme measures to distance ourselves from those who are in the field for money, power or both. And, I think we need to speak out about it, so more people realize that many of us are sincere.
In time, the worst of these problems will fade away. They’ll leap on the next popular trend.
I think many of us are looking forward to that day.
Fiona – Realty TV is a genre of a television show and they are filmed a certain way. Most are scripted in some form or another because the alternative is not good – leaving people to their own devises to say whatever they want. That would never do – IE: JON & KATE PLUS 8 – that memory leaves scars. But in this case of all these paranormal shows – I have grown fond of saying that they are “para-sites” and the amount of crap shows out there – Ghost Hunters included is overwhelming. We’ve stopped watching especially since some of these shows are staging their paranormal events. Money is the root of this evil – sad but true.
Hi Cathy,
It’s good to see you here! As always, your phrasing is clever; “para-sites” is a brilliant term for what’s going on with many ghost-related reality shows.
I’m not sure what to say about some aspects of the “Ghost Hunters” show. Have you spent much time with Jason & Grant? If you have, you know they’re 100% on-the-level, so if anything is being faked for their show, they’re not part of that scam.
But, this all adds up to why I don’t watch the ghost-related TV shows very often, except to see how bad they’ve gotten, now & then.
The love of money — as well as greed of any kind, including just the need for attention or power — can cause people to make lesser choices. With the amount of money involved at the top of the food chains that produce TV shows… well, that’s a lot of incentive to produce popular — not necessarily good — TV shows.
Sincerely,
Fiona
Jennifer Gilbert-Soto’s Education
Golden Gate University
2000 — 2003 PLEASE check this person out!
[Remainder of comment removed. See my comment after the "KGB" comments.]
Scamwatch,
Generally, I avoid naming anyone in particular, and I don’t know anything about Ms. Gilbert-Soto or Gilbert Enterprises.
I encourage people to conduct their own research, ignoring bias or what others say, and verify the individual’s actual claims. That’s where any lies are, and — ultimately — the basis on which to decide if the person is trustworthy.
Sincerely,
Fiona
[...] I've become enough of a celebrity to find myself elbow-to-elbow with con artists, child molesters, and plagiarists, all of whom seem incensed when I mention that their respective [...]
[Name deleted by webmaster] strikes again trolling the web at night and posting erroneous postings about her estranged family members.. Jennifer Gilbert -Soto is the latest victim. Shame on you [name deleted by webmaster] for continuing this hateful an pathetic attack on the web. Move on with your life…
BY the way website monitor the posting by”scamwatch ” is slanderous AND erroneous. If the post is not taken down legal action will be pursued . This is a fact. You have allowed a malicious comment to be posted. Cease and desist warning is herby posted. I hope you have the dignity to delete the postings immediately. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
KGB,
Your username — which may or may not reference Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti (the former Russian Committee for State Security) — was enough to set off my alarms.
Don’t use HollowHill.com for your arguments with a third party.
You said, “BY the way website monitor the posting by ‘scamwatch’ is slanderous AND erroneous.”
That sentence makes no sense. In addition, your use of the word “slanderous” is erroneous. Slander is a malicious, false, and defamatory spoken statement or report. If you use legal phrases like “cease and desist,” at least be consistent; you lose credibility by using the word “slander” when you mean “libel.”
You also said, “If the post is not taken down legal action will be pursued . This is a fact.”
That’s redundant; most people assume that a statement is a fact.
However, I will not take down my post. It names no one and never has. It simply explains how to conduct research to identify possible scams and con artists. There is nothing illegal about that, and threatening me with a “cease and desist” order makes me wonder what you’re hiding.
If, in your comments, you were actually referring to the reader’s comment, that’s another matter. I have deleted most of that comment because I will not allow Hollow Hill to be used for juvenile bickering and accusations of any kind.
Ms. Gilbert, all future comments by you and your family will be deleted. In addition, all comments containing the Gilbert name are now sent directly to this site’s spam folder for deletion, unread. Relevant emails are being flagged.
If this harassment continues, I will contact the Hayward, Oakland and Capitola, California, police and district attorneys. Your IP addresses have already been logged from this site and from Gilbert-related emails sent to me.
Ordinarily, I’d delete the entire thread containing your comments. However, I’m leaving it online to make my point clear and expose your personal attacks: I do not tolerate this kind of childishness. Legal action will be taken as necessary.
Sincerely,
Fiona Broome
Portsmouth, NH
i am constantly wandering about the net nearly all of the evening and so I have a tendency to peruse quite a lot, which isnt generally a good matter as a large amount of the sites I find are constructed of unproductive garbage copied from other internet websites a zillion times, but I gotta give you props this webpage is in actual fact enjoyable and even has a bit of genuine content, for that reason thank you for smashing the pattern of just duplicating other folks’ blogs
A very well done article that I agree completely with. Sadly this field has a number (more in my oppinion then you seem to think but that may be a product of my own specialization)of con artists in it. While I haven’t had to deal with many who prey upon investigation groups (a few I’ll admit) I have seen ones that prey on clients. Theres a certain group I won’t name that claims to be experts on demonology for example that charge over a thousand dollars to come to your home for a consultation which is unacceptable unless the distance involved is extremely high, There are also a wide range of self proclaimed psychics, ceremonial magicians, gypsies and other “occult” practicioners (not that their are not legitimate people in this field) who will charge thousands of dollars to cast demons out of your house or break a curse. I will say that for many locations I can understand charging for investigations. An excelent example of this is Eastern State Pennitentiary in PHiladelphia PA that charges last I checked 50 dollars a person an hour. The reason I can understand this is simple Eastern, like many historical sites, is having a very difficult time financially right now (lets face it almost everywhere is thanks to the mess our economy is in) and they need whatever sources of income they can find.