We see them all over socials when we’re most vulnerable, or at least I did, so here’s the truth about whether tarot card readers are a scam

Let me paint a picture for you. It was the summer of 2025. I was still somewhat grieving a relationship that had ended a couple of months earlier. Naturally, my social media algorithm was picking up on this, and all I kept seeing were these tarot card readers.

I was told that my ex was missing me and just waiting for me to reach out. I was told that I had done the right thing by walking away. And, I was told, he would come crawling back sooner or later.

Now, if you know me, you know that I’m very sceptical when it comes to things like tarot cards. But there was something about these videos I kept seeing that drew me in. Why? I was emotionally in an incredibly vulnerable state and, therefore, easy prey.

But two can play at this game, and I was determined to book a session with a tarot card reader to find out once and for all – are tarot card readers a scam?

Finding the Perfect Scammer

While the idea of booking myself a tarot card reading came from my Instagram feed, it was actually a community group on Facebook that brought a woman to my attention – someone promoting her services. While most tarot card readers will charge you anywhere from £50 to even £100 per session, I wasn’t really willing to pay that much for a service I already suspected to be faulty.

But £30? £30 I can do.

I sent this woman a message and intentionally kept it quite neutral. My one rule for all of this was to give away as little information as possible about myself and see what she came up with. So, we set a time, and I was counting the days until our call.

Inside the Tarot Card Readers Scam

As I’m waiting for my tarot card reader to join the call, I am literally sweating. I know I’m going into this, to, in a way, scam her, and I was curious to see if she would sense my scepticism through the screen. Spoiler alert: she hasn’t.

The first thing she tells me is that I should not sit with my legs crossed, and like a little puppy, I listen to her. Let the spirits come to me, or whatever.

She asks me what I would like to talk about, and I tell her I have some questions prepared. Now, my thinking is, as long as my questions are vague and, even better, based on a complete and utter lie, she will run with it. Spoiler alert: she did.

So, let’s talk about my career. The woman tells me that she sees a contract in place, something that I have already signed or will sign. At the time, I had been working as a social media manager for about six months, so that’s not very accurate, but I smile and nod.

I then say to her that maybe I’m thinking of changing the industry I am in, and maybe the tarot cards could tell me which way I should go. I was hoping she would tell me that I’d be a great hairdresser, something I have never done and have no plans to do. But she’s on to me and says that cards can’t tell me which position would suit me. I’m getting frustrated. I mean, how can the cards tell me that my ex is coming back, but my next position – that’s where we draw the line? Give me a break!

Let’s Talk about my Love Life

This is where it gets good. As we’re chatting about my career, she says (completely unprompted) to me:

“I see your boyfriend next to you. He is very supportive of you.”

My eyes light up. I run with it.

“Yes, that’s correct. I have a boyfriend, and he is very supportive of me.”

“Yes, I can see that you will become pregnant soon.”

Not only am I single at this point in my life, but honestly, I’m not even sure I want children. But now that she has brought this up, I take it as my duty to find out more about this non-existent relationship I’m in. So, is he the right partner for me?

“I can see a lot of tension between you two. He could walk and leave you at any point. The cards are also showing me that there is another woman there. She is very cold and calculated. She is someone who creates tension between you and your boyfriend. This is potentially his mum.”

I would be lying if I said I’m not invested in this now.

“There is also some sort of secret that will come out soon. You have a secret too; that is what the cards are showing.”

Now I’m thinking she’s on to me; she must know I’m just letting her run with this story she made up. But no. My worries are eased once she says that, no matter what this secret of mine is, there is no future for me with this supposed boyfriend. In fact, according to this woman, my whole life is falling apart.

So, are Tarot Card Readers a Scam?

As I’m sitting there, thinking about my life according to this tarot reader – a boyfriend who is supportive yet might leave me at any point, his calculating mum who is influencing his decisions, and these deep, dark secrets that I’m supposedly carrying – I can’t help but wonder: how many of us actually fall for tarot card reader scams?

It’s troubling to know that this complete stranger created a life, almost completely unprompted, and ran with it so confidently. Going into this, I knew I wanted to show how ridiculous this whole practice is, but there were moments along the way when I found myself thinking – what would have happened if I had just called her out on it?

No cards can dictate what our future looks like, and yet, here we are, giving away pieces of ourselves to someone who knows nothing about us. It’s tempting to want guidance, to hope for answers, especially when we’re feeling vulnerable, but the truth is that most of these readings are built on deception, not magic.

We all want a shortcut to certainty, a glimpse into what’s next, but tarot card reader scams thrive on our vulnerability. And sometimes, just sometimes, we let them in, even when we know better.