Introduction to Ghost Hunting
(c)2009 by Fiona Broome, founder of HollowHill.com
Supplementary report:
Scams
and con
artists
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’re
successful or they’re 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
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 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.
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.
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.
Here are a few links to TV shows:
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.
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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