Folks, recently I've been alerted to a scam going around involving a group that calls itself "Sci-Fi Productions." The implication is that they are with the Sci-Fi Channel -- they are not. My friend Brendan Skeen, who runs Ghost-Mart (Ghostvillage.com is a partner site to Ghost-Mart) has been receiving calls from people who want to place some very big orders for various investigation equipment. While we're grateful for the orders, we don't want to see anybody get ripped off.

Here's how the scam works: Your ghost investigation group receives an email from someone claiming they're with Sci-Fi Productions. The email says they are casting for a new ghost show and they're interested in you. They may ask you for some headshots of yourself, or they may be looking for some more information about your group.

Next, they offer you a phone number based out of California. You call the number and they answer it, "Sci-Fi Productions." They will tell you they work in a cut-throat business and tell you that you can't tell anyone you're talking to them or it might jeopardize your chances at starring in their new show. Then they'll ask you what kind of investigation equipment you have. They may ask you to get some more if you're serious and want to be on the show. The scam ends when they ask you to ship your investigation equipment to them so they can check it out before they schedule the filming of the pilot. (In some cases people are shipping them thousands of dollars worth of equipment.) Once you send in your stuff, the contact stops and you don't hear back. The number (which is likely a pay-as-you-go cell phone) gets disconnected, and you're out all of your equipment. Our best guess is that the scammer then sells your stuff on eBay for hundreds of dollars.

I've had the opportunity to work with a few television production companies on various projects and I can tell you, they would never ask you to ship them your equipment for any reason. They may ask for headshots, they may ask for sample video of you in action, but they simply won't have any interest in your EMF meters. If they are for real, and do have a budget for a show, they'll buy you all the necessary equipment when they start filming.

This group is preying on people who want to be famous and have their own ghost show. Television is still hungry for the paranormal, but please think before you send all of your equipment away to some stranger.

Warn others!