In the practices of fake psychics, mediums, or mentalists, a confederate is a person who helps the fake without others knowing. Usually this takes one of three forms.

1. The confederate secretly collects information on the people attending a demonstration and provides the worker with that information before or even during the show.
2. The confederate secretly signals information during the show. For example, if the worker is seeking a hidden object, the confederate may subtly signal the object's location.
3. The confederate agrees with statements of the worker, making it look as if the worker is being incredibly successful.