We've all fallen for a too-good-to-be-true scam.
While it's especially sad when people try to trick grandmas into giving them their credit card numbers, or when Billy McFarlands trick rich people into buying fake Met Gala tickets, there are scammers everywhere. The amount of robo-calls I get from automated voices telling me I will be "seized by the local cops" because of an "outstanding balance to the IRS" is alarming.
Between pyramid schemes, bogus GoFundMe pages, made up religions and the fantastic world of Fyre Fests, it's rough out there. When a recent Reddit user asked, "What is obviously a scam, yet millions of people seem to fall for it?" the internet was ready to prevent others from draining their savings accounts.
1. Such a solid point, "AlarmingBird."
I watched that documentary on the Fyre Festival - I understand falling for the festival itself, but apparently people actually fell for those cold call emails promising tickets to high profile events like the Grammys or Met Gala?? Like you get an email from an email you have never seen before, from a company you've never heard of, months after you got scammed for thousands of dollars already, and you still think it's legit and sent this random company money?
2. Ok, but sometimes these are convincing, "ZTH-Yankee."
Those pop-up ads that say "Your computer has a virus, click this link to remove it.
3. Robo-call nightmares, "somedk."
Any unknown number calling you
or maybe I just have a computer filled with malware that microsoft support needs to fix, there are several warrants out and legal action has been taken in my name, and I owe the IRS $2000 in itunes gift cards. fortunately I won a free vacation to the bahamas where I can set aside these troubles for a week.
4. Damn, "ConCons_Husband."
Scientology
5. For real, "AdeptCoat."
The “IRS”calling and asking for a payment over the phone.
6. Ah, yes, "FourinchFailure."
Hot local singles in your area
7. Too real, "lay_me_down_to_sleep."
As an unemployed master's degree grad I'm starting to think I may have been duped somewhere along the way.
8. This is just a solid PSA, "viburnumtrilobum."
Human traffickers often use signs that say things like "make $5000 modeling (or some oddly high number)" or "make money abroad" and they tell you to tell your friends. If you're young, and someone is posting a get rich scheme that involves those things, online or on a poster STAY AWAY and make sure everyone you know knows to stay away as well
9. This hurts, "JiN88reddit."
"If you tell me, I promise I won't be mad." --Love, Mom & Dad.
10. Yeah these are laxatives, "Sempirturtleeee."
Those fit detox teas shit.
11. "TheBitchisBack666" clearly has a story.
A lot of online dating. People start off normal, you get to know them, talk about meeting for coffee, they send pics...and then all of a sudden they're "stuck overseas and their debit card doesn't work please send me $200." Thankfully I did not.
I swear I'm not stupid :( They're just getting better all the time and obviously have no issues preying on lonely people. I unfortunately have read that they're quite successful.
12. But they're so fun, "Eminelo."
Weddings
I’m all for a degree of extravagance when it’s called for, but the wedding industry is almost entirely built on the premise that you MUST be a prince/princess on your special day and anything less than makes your love trashy
Don’t even get me started on the price of diamonds.
13. Well this is a bummer, "Duckl0l."
Feng Shui's utter BS. I come from a traditional Chinese family. We're a middle-income family of 4, where my dad works his ass off to feed us, 6 days a week.
Every damn year, for whatever reason, he calls in a supposed Feng Shui master, who charges crazy 'consultation fees', to take a look at our home and determine our home's feng shui for the year. He claims that my youngest sister should get a name change, a stupid idea which will definitely cost us a lot (legal fees, birth certificate, school student card, patient info, insurance).
Feng Shui is believed to cause one's destiny to change. This belief is something that I, a person who believes more in science and data, than supposed 'calculations' provided by a sketchy middle aged Chinese man. Fucking bullshit imo, to believe that many people, even those who are highly educated, fall for such a sketchy scheme, surely baffles me.
I get it, its a Chinese tradition. I respect that. But I don't respect the fact that many sketchy people are taking advantage of our culture and tradition and fooling older, more traditional folk into spending their hard-earned cash on unproven ventures.
14. Crystals won't cure my cold, "theKalash?"
Homeopathy.
15. This is breaking news, "Thomas_Chinchilla."
Kars4Kids. Yes that commercial with the really annoying jingle is also a complete scam. From what I know, the money actually goes to some rabbi in Lakewood, NJ to fund schools for rich kids, specifically Orthodox Jews.
16. Yelp ruins everything, "KLRVT."
Fucking Yelp.
If they can’t trick your business into falling for their racket, they’ll blackmail till you do. Fuck those guys.
17. This is passion, "Keohane."
Single ply toilet paper.
If I go over to your house, and I shit in your toilet, and there's single ply toilet paper all respect for you is gone. How could you be this stupid? You're paying 60% of the price of two ply, but you have to fold it over and use twice as much to wipe yourself without getting shit on your fingers THROUGH the sheen layer of paper. You're paying more! And having something that feels worse and gets SHIT ON YOUR FINGERS. AHGGGGGGGG
18. They're not magical, "forthelifeofriley?"
Reality TV psychics
19. Amen, "TearsAreForFears."
"Vaccines cause autism."
20. So sad and true, "Stockholm-Syndrom."
The US healthcare system.