Then, monks, Māra the Evil One, having entered a certain company of Brahmas, spoke thus to me: ‘Monk, monk, do not meddle with this, do not meddle with this. For, monk, this Brahmā is a Great Brahmā, Victor, Unvanquished, All-seeing, Controller, Lord, Maker, Creator, Chief, Disposer, Master, Father of all that have become and will be. Monk, there were recluses and brahmans in the world before you, who scorned extension, loathed extension, who scorned cohesion, loathed cohesion, who scorned heat, loathed heat, who scorned motion, loathed motion, who scorned creatures, loathed creatures, who scorned devas, loathed devas, who scorned Pajāpati, loathed Pajāpati, who scorned Brahmā, loathed Brahmā. These at the breaking up of the body, at the cutting off of life, were established in a low group.
But, monk, there were recluses and brahmans in the world before you, who lauded extension, delighted in extension, who lauded cohesion, delighted in cohesion, who lauded heat, delighted in heat, who lauded motion, delighted in motion, who lauded creatures, delighted in creatures, who lauded devas, delighted in devas, who lauded Pajāpati, delighted in Pajāpati, who lauded Brahmā, delighted in Brahmā. These at the breaking up of the body, at the cutting off of life, were established in an excellent group. On account of this do I, monk, speak thus: “Please do you, good sir, do exactly what Brahmā says to you, do not go beyond Brahmā’s word. If you, monk, should go beyond Brahmā’s word, it will be with you, monk, as with a man who might beat back approaching glory with a stick, or, monk, as with a man who might miss the earth with his hands and feet as he was falling down hell’s precipices. Please do you, good sir, do exactly what Brahmā says to you, do not go beyond Brahmā’s word. Do not you, monk, see the seated company of Brahmā?”’ And so, monks, Māra the Evil One conducted me to the company of Brahmā.
When he had spoken thus, I, monks, spoke thus to Māra the Evil One: ‘I, Evil One, know you; do not think that I do not know you. Māra, you are the Evil One. And whoever, Evil One, is a Brahmā, and whatever are Brahmā-companies, and whatever are Brahmā-conclaves, all are in your grasp, all are in your power. It occurs to you thus, Evil One: ‘Let this one too be in my grasp, let this one too be in my power.’ But I, Evil One, am not in your grasp, I am not in your power.’
SuttaCentral
You can see why they would! To get rid of such spirits you have to satisfy their craving in some other way, such as by doing an act of generosity in their name, to send them some thoughts of kindness, to ask for and give them forgiveness, etc. In these situations, too, we would chant the Mettā Sutta and hope that the good vibes are sufficient to make the spirit more on.