Since the pandemic, scammers have become more elaborate with their schemes.
However, we are not to be underestimated. Many of us are catching on to what's fake in our private messages and email inboxes.
Curious to hear about some of the more obvious scams, Redditor GransShortbread asked:
"What is a straight up scam?"
These incidents will make you think twice about picking up the phone.
Repeat Offender
"I got a call from the same guy, twice. He said that he was taking donations for the family of a fallen Las Vegas police officer. I told him that I didn’t have any money and he said by not donating a warrant would be issued for my arrest. So I told him to come and get me. He called again the following week. Some people never learn."
– Bwon669
Grandpa Got A Call
"My grandfather, who's around 85, got a call a few months ago from someone impersonating to be me. I'm 16 and in high school and live a town away from my grandparents. He got the call midday while I was at school. The guy told him that he was me and that I had been arrested and I needed money to make bail but I didn't want to tell my parents. My grandfather almost believed him. He called my parents who called me, in the middle of my math class, confirming I wasn't in jail."
– BrandonTaylor89
Why They Prey On The Elderly
"They don't claim to be you specifically. They typically say something vague like, 'Hey grandpa, it's me. I'm in trouble.' And the elderly person will normally fill in the blanks on their own, 'Brandon?? Where are you? Are you ok?' Then the scammer runs with it and repeats your name a lot to make it seem authentic."
– HeiressGoddess
Jaded Grandpa
"My grandfather almost got scammed in a similar fashion. He said they sounded just like me and that I needed to get bailed out of jail. Luckily, he was tired of all my cousins bullsh*t and refused, lmao."
– Firstnamecody
If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is.
Invest To Getting Rich Quick
"All gurus claiming to teach you how to make 6 figure income if you buy their 30 day course."
– peoplecallmedude797
The Gamble
"Sadly, there will always be lots of people desperate enough to believe that maybe, just maybe, there really is a cheat code to life that nobody else has discovered yet."
"I used to believe that people could make millions in a short space of time on the stock market, but the reality is that the higher the returns, the closer to gambling it becomes. By the time you reach 20% per year returns and higher, you're reaching 'take your money and bet it all on red' territory."
– Neoptolemus85
Sharing Property
"Timeshares."
"Honestly don’t know how the salesmen that try to push this crap can look themselves in the mirror. They should switch to a respectable job like selling meth to teenagers."
– usmcmech
It's hard to believe anything anymore these days.
Mom's Rage
"Mom saying she won’t get mad if I tell her the truth."
– GreatXs
Benefits Of Truth
"My dad doing this really taught me a lot about risk assessment."
"Tell the truth: hour long boring-a** lecture about how I screwed something up (that I either already know was a mistake and have learned from it or the situation was more complex but he doesn't wanna hear it because in his book 'explanation / reason' and 'excuse' are the same word)."
"Lie: if I get caught lying, it's the same lecture but if I give him a convincing enough lie, I can avoid the whole thing. So honesty is a guaranteed lose, lying has a chance of getting away with it."
"It was only later that I've learnt that being honest and owning up to your mistake is the easiest option in 95% of cases since most people don't have an emotional investment in your actions. You got to class late: tell the prof you overslept, you're sorry and that's it. He teaches 500+ students, he doesn't care about you, just apologize for disrupting his class by arriving late."
– Corvus_Manufaktura
It Doesn't Work That Way
"How to save $100k"
- Get free college tuition
- Have a massive safety net so you can take full advantage of your tech company matching you putting lots of money into your 401k
– ThadisJones
These should be a crime.
Name A Star
"The International Star Registry."
"No, you can't really pay to name a star after someone. This is just a bullshit company selling bullsh*t certificates."
– ImGumbyDamnIt
Textbook Scam
"College textbook prices"
– the_garnet_witch
A La Carte Services
"Subscription services to activate hardware and features in machines and devices you have purchased."
"Should be f'king illegal."
– sbenzanzenwan
The Claw
"Goddamn claw machines. How many times have you spent your money on a Claw Machine and actually got something?"
– RosyandCozy69
Don't Waste Your Money
"Subscription services to activate hardware and features in machines and devices you have purchased."
"Should be f'king illegal."
– sbenzanzenwan
There are no easy routes to wealth. Don't fall for anything that sounds too good to be true.
Your instincts are there for a reason.
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