We would hope the world isn't out to get us. However, going through this list of all the scams and grifters and liars, hoping to get their grubby little hands into our pockets, it's easy to think otherwise. With a little foresight and some critical analysis, you can avoid these pitfalls, keeping your money right where it belongs.
Yet, people keep falling for them every day. If only, I don't know, some magical wave spread out over the planet, increasing everyone's base level intelligence ten fold...
...I wonder what would happen...
Reddit user, SEX_CEO, wanted to know what people keep falling for when they asked:
"What industry would be the first to go bankrupt if everybody on earth suddenly gained an increased intelligence?"
You'd be surprised the first things to fall away if suddenly all of our collective intelligence rose. Like, say, some reality stars who have somehow convinced us they're "interesting."
We're All Getting A Bit Smarter
"Tutoring centers like Kumon or SAT prep"
macaronsforeveryone
"For a second I thought “wait are those places scamming kids? What’s the deal?” Then I realized you meant people wouldn’t need tutoring anymore and well…..guess I need to sign up for kumon"
Blanche-
"OMG, She's The GOAT"
"Kardashians and everything related to them"
VermicelliFormer2458
Make Your House Smell Better? Absolutely. Cure Cancer? Probably Not.
"essential oils"
skyx24
"Depends. If people think they are gonna cure cancer and their dog's depression with funny smells they are insane."
"But for example Tee Tree Oil is a known potent anti-microbial agent, particularly lethal to fungal issues when applied topically. There are bloody research papers written on it..."
"https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-tea-tree-oil/art-20364246 here is proof. Hopefully Mayo Clnic, one of the US's top medical authorities suffices."
"...The problem is the insane people who somehow think that the 1 compound found in 1 plant will do more than treat a couple related conditions. They might be found in nature, but like any compound, they only have a limited range of effects upon the body."
"And don't get me started on the insanity of people thinking they are healing themselves by inhaling it. Like Tea Tree will clear up a case of Ringworm, but it won't do sh-t against high blood pressure. And atomizing it into the air sounds like a great way to irritate the sh-t out of your lungs, as its a mildly caustic oil."
"People also shouldn't be messing around with the extracts of medical plants without first talking to their doctor. Herbs and plants CAN have fatal complications with prescription drugs, and some can make conditions FAR worse if used incorrectly."
nordoceltic82
It's not like we didn't see the signs. There's evidence, now, in the present, that shows a lot of the scams and schemes people have fallen for which we should ignore.
Not All Traditions Are Good
"Diamonds."
"The prices are inflated due to a fixed supply market."
"They're just shiny clear rocks and there are tons of different cheaper options out there."
ialo00130
Buy Low, Sell High
"“Hype brands” Like supreme and stuff like that, ain’t no way a random hoodie is worth 3000 bucks"
kaytzee
"Yeah, especially as clothes can depreciate in value and can get messed up like any other brands of clothes. Designer brands are overrated. People can do whatever they want but yeah, designer brands are overrated to me."
gotpeace99
"Yeah I swear to god the stuff to make it was at most 30 bucks, they literally just got a hoodie and put the word, "supreme" in a little box on it"
Jerry_Berry2
They Take A Little More, Every Time
"Rent to Own"
ELSMurphy
"My brother used to have a crap tonne of rent to own stuff and we didn't know. When we found out we finally realized why he was always broke despite working a lot of overtime at a decent paying job."
sammygirl1331
"Sorry, mind explaining? I’ve been looking into rent to own, and now seeing this… yeah I will need some context before I get into something that might f-ck me up financially"
Warm-Spread-6960
"You pay a fee every month until you've paid so many months and then you own the item. Thing is if you add up all the money you've paid over those months it's exponentially higher than if you bought it outright."
sammygirl1331
If You Recruit 10 People And They Recruit 10 People And They...
"MLMs"
Althea_The_Witch
"Curious, is Scentsy a MLM?"
bL1Nd
"Yes definitely. If you have to buy the products to sell them…. You are the customer"
User Deleted
For The Low Value Of $500, You Too Can Be Saved
"Televangelism...MLMs"
beowolff
"What's the difference?"
MustachedBaby
"There are only two levels in televangelism: grifter and grifted. (Yes, understand that two is technically “multiple,” but it isn’t a Russian nesting doll)"
FuzzySparkle
There are some bad people in the world, looking to score their latest prey and latest buck off individuals who might be a little too trustworthy.
Don't buy NFTs.
Buy Nothing
"Nft buying and selling"
Character-Industry-9
"NFTs confuse me. Somehow someone convinced people that buying someone's receipt was a good, sound investment."
"You don't own the thing, you just have proof of owning a receipt of it."
Kinetic_Symphony
They're Watching Us Through The Tiny Cameras Hidden In Our Toothbrushes
"There are many different types of intelligence and intelligence does not mean common sense. However, besides MLM's, which a few people have said, I think that standard block intelligence would eliminate conspiracy theory scams, like 5g eliminators and stuff."
"Edit: I commented further down this thread, but I'll say it on this comment too. People often compartmentalize things that don't match up. Intelligent people can have what others might consider unintelligible beliefs. So believing in conspiracy theories and such doesn't necessarily have anything to do with intelligence because of said compartmentalizing."
Traditional_Hall_268
"So many of those conspiracy theories make no sense if you hold them to even the slightest scrutiny, so this is probably an accurate take."
Resolute002
Do You Need Cash Now?
"The scummier parts of the finance industry would be nervous"
haveAGreatDayPeople
"RIP payday loans."
Thunder_Zerker
"I was thinking this too. Payday loans, scummy car dealerships, tax preparation places, rent-to-own places...I was looking for a work car once and asked about one at one of those lots. They only accept payments. You can't just buy a car."
ryan_503
While some magical smart wave is not going to suddenly sweep the planet, it's still possible for us to learn how to critically think, critically read, and not be swept up in fads that want nothing more than to take our money.
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