As most of us know, when people are in hard times they are more open to superstition. So while it’s no surprise that psychics are getting more business, it’s still a little disappointing.

CNN has a profile on a psychic fraud (except they call her a “medium” instead of the more accurate term “fraud”):

“It’s more types of people I have never seen before,” says [psychic] Roxanne Usleman. “Men in the business world, high-powered jobs, stock market, Wall Street.”

Since last fall, she says she began to see a new type of client — a “logical, [A-type] of personality.” Many of them are “just completely lost,” says Usleman.

Wait, logical personalities are going to a psychic? They must really be lost, because there’s nothing logical about going to a psychic.

Relationship advice, typically the bread and butter of the psychic business, has been supplanted by something new.

“Should I merge with this company? Should I bring in a partner to my company,” are the kind of questions Usleman gets from her clients….

Not the kind of question I’d want a person who doesn’t know anything about my business or circumstances answering.

For a typical reading, she grips a client’s photograph or set of keys and consults “the angels.”

How depressing.

Business is good, she says. Usleman sees five or six clients a day and charges up to $135 a pop for sessions that usually last more than an hour.

She is profiting because of people’s confusion and desperation. This wouldn’t bother me if she was honest and said she was just a counselor who excels at cold reading.

But she’s a fraud. She pretends to have paranormal insight into issues. She pretends to talk to angels. And people, desperate in hard times, believe her and pay her money that could go to paying their mortgage. It’s just sad.