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What is a scam that more people should be aware of?
Inspired by Cory Doctorow sharing his story.
What's a scam that more people should be aware of?
Inspired by Cory Doctorow sharing his story.
What's a scam that more people should be aware of?
It goes without saying, but there's a lot of tourist scams in any and every location. Everything from money exchanges, artisan made gifts, taxi trips, landmarks, exclusive experiences, street performers and even beggers can be a scam. Take the time to do your research, find reputable guides and be very careful with your time and money.
But the tourist scams that are particularly insidious are in holy cities. Mecca, Jerusalem, Rome, Varanasi, Kushinagar. These places hold a deep spiritual meaning for many people and they visit with an open heart and mind, looking for an enlightening experience. Scammers know that.
So if you or someone you know is going on a pilgrimage, please remember that you'll never have to buy any sort of divine connection. Theres no scripture or teachings the promise blessings upon those who bare the shard of the cross or a cloth from the kaaba or sacred ashes or statues or urine.
I wouldn't categorize street performers here, unless they are aggressively demanding money or trapping people into it. If someone genuinely entertains me, especially if they stand out from other performers, I'm happy to pay.
I spent a while in Athens, Greece. There, on a pedestrian walkway near the acropolis, was a boy with an accordion, one of many in that area. Some of them were good, and sometimes I gave them money.
This boy, however, would set up in front of a storm drain, with a few coins in a water bottle that had been cut in half. Inevitably, someone walking by would kick the nearly imperceptible bottle, the coins would fall into the storm drain. He would act shocked and outraged, and the mark would inevitably give him paper money to cover for all the coins.
He'd then put a few more coins in his bottle and reset it in front of the drain. When it was quiet, he'd put a wad of gum on the end of a stick and fish the coins back out, to replenish the supply. If a few were left in the drain, it doesn't matter, because the mark didn't see the bottle in the first place.
I watched him for weeks, and never once saw him even pretend to make a sound with the accordion.
Thanks for sharing the story! That one is definitely what I would consider a trap and scam
There are some street musicians who pretend to play an amplified instrument but it's really just an accomplice playing a recording through the speaker while the "musician" fakes it. I'd count that one as being in scam territory, although just barely.
That's interesting. I've never experienced it but that might be due to them being that good at hiding the trick. Either way, it reminded me of Michelle Phillips when The Mamas & The Papas had to lip sing on the Ed Sullivan show so she decided to protest by eating grapes and a banana while singing.
https://youtu.be/duoxOeUhKcA?si=9DNwW6U5wH9r5zGD&t=233
Not a scam, but 2 things people should know.
Regarding scams: if you're not actively looking for something, there's a higher chance it's a scam.
If you email multiple people for things, and any of the recipients are outside your work, use BCC! It means blind carbon copy and doesn't attach everyone's email to everyone else.
I've just been hitting the report spam button on those for years.
Most CRMs track spam reports for the sender to view. This data does include the specific person who reported spam, which would indicate to the sender that the recipient email is active and accomplish the same goal as the false unsubscribe link mentioned above. I'm not sure if this can be disabled on the receiver's account.
I use Thunderbird which blocks remote content by default so the server doesn't even get data on whether or not I've opened it. I created a list that immediately deletes emails from addresses that I add to it.
The best way to get off these lists would be to send a bounce response back to the sender, but I'm not sure if that's possible. Universal bounce lists exist, so this could (unlikely, but theoretically could) stop you from getting emails that you actually want.
Edit: I looked it up and, for Gmail, it does seem to be possible to create your own bounce template, but it won't look like the official one Gmail uses, so I guess it depends on the sender whether or not they'd pay attention to (or even have the capability to track) the non-official one.
I’m not particularly worried about this “scam” as it seems pretty harmless? I get lots of spam so it seems many spammers know my email already. Gmail’s spam filter works pretty well.
Maybe it matters if you have a pristine inbox and aren’t getting spam yet?
Interesting! This is something I've definitely done before. Thanks for sharing this info!
Also Gmail lets you add on anything to your email with + symbol, and still deliver them all to you.
Say my email is foo@gmail.com
I use ten minute toss emails for most things, but when I need a persistent one I use
foo+StoreName@gmail.com
So if or when they sell my email to spammers, I just block everything sent to foo+StoreName and my original is (mostly) fine - plus I know who sold me out.
A lot of places don't support +-signs in email addresses, so what I've resorted to is to purchase my own domain.
I have a catch-all rule at my domain provider (they also provide a rudimentary email service) that forwards any email received to my real email account, and outgoing mail is sent via that same email service.
That way I can give someone randomaddress@mydomain.com and still receive the email, reply using that very same address as an alias, and figure out who leaked my address/easily filter it to spam (without them having any idea what my real address is).
Also in my opinion it looks more professional when you use a custom domain name instead of a generic Gmail/Hotmail address, but that's besides the point.
Own domains are my gold standard, absolutely. For less than $20 a year you get as many professional email addresses as you want, and yes it makes the filtering super easy.
:) but I wanted to offer the simple and free one first....
Thanks for including details on how to do the domain one - I wish more people knew about these tricks.
One more reminder: Don't forget 10 minute toss emails!
Some places like proton mail will have built in scramble-letter emails to hide yours as well.
What are the 10 minute toss emails?
Mailinator seems to be getting worse and worse
If you search for "10 minute emails" there should be a bunch of web services that won't require sign in or anything. They'll give you a toss away email address to copy paste into whatever junk you need a temp email for, and when they send you a confirmation email or coupon code etc, it'll go to the web service :) then you can forever forget about this email
I do this too but I use a subdomain. It seems like spammers don't so as much random address spam to subdomains, so the catchall doesn't pick up s much spam. I finally had to turn the catchall in the top level domain off because it was picking so much spam up.
You'd think if the CIA had a tool for spaces in 2017, spammers probably have caught on by now to pluses in gmail addresses ;)
A lot of mobile games that are ad-driven are essentially scams, in my opinion.
These games are often simple rehashes that use the same engine/models/sprites/addictive gameplay of other ad-driven games with some tweaks. Many of them have ads that entice you to play another game, some of which allows you a brief play-through inside the ad, and in turn those games’ ads might also feature the game you were originally playing.
Even if you do pay to remove the ads, a lot of the interesting aspects of these games that allow you a sense of achievement aren’t actually achievable unless you pay for them.
I've really enjoyed Google's Play Pass for this reason. By design, it seems to weed out the infinite micro-transaction games and low effort ad-delivery platforms disguised as games.
For $30/year, I definitely feel like I get my money's worth out of it between myself and my son.
I've been using NetGuard recently and it's made my phone a much more pleasant place. Turned it on for every app that shouldn't need to contact the Internet (sudoku, really?).
Wikipedia has a long and entertaining article on common scams
Many are variations on this basic format: you're brought in on a deal that has some slight element of illegal shade to it. You're in on a scam to scam others! But it's okay, it's sticking it to The Man or some horrible person that deserve it. Actually you're the mark, and now you're hesitant to report your losses because you'll lose face or face legal consequences.
They work not just because of greed, but because they play on a sense of comradery and being in on a fun secret, and there's a thrill of cheating someone/something, and a warped sense of justice thrown into the mix.
Chiropractors!
It's wild how many people don't realize that they are not medical doctors, and that chiropractic is an entire alternative medicine system built around the idea that spinal alignment is tied to all sorts of general health concerns. If you have a musculoskeletal issue you should go see an orthopedic doctor / physiotherapist, and if you have general health issues you should see an MD or DO. Doctors of Chiropractic do not meet the standards necessary to reliably give proper medical care.
I'll give chiropractors one thing - they've done a great job downplaying the weird quackery stuff and getting people to think they're the same as PT.
Very worth noting that DO means very different things when it comes to medical rigor in different places. In the US they're pretty much the same as MDs for all practical purposes. In Europe, they're quacks on the same level as chiropractors.
How is this possible? Does getting a Doctor of Osteopathy degree mean something different in the US?
You get a Diploma of Osteopathy in Europe and a Doctorate in the US.
DOs in the US get a med school degree + the Osteopathy stuff.
Wiki Link
In the US, DOs do essentially the same med school and resdiency as MDs, they just have an additional component related to traditional osteopathy. They're normal physicians and can prescribe medication and do all the other normal doctor stuff. This is apparently peculiar to the US.
Some of them don't even downplay it. One of them convinced a relative to buy their book and try their diet. Relative immediately dumps milk they bought down the drain because milk has casein and that's bad for inflammation or something. Also tosses all their dairy products. Has avoided dairy for years now and has so many other strange dietary restrictions (self inflicted and not directed by any medical professionals) that it's hard to eat at a restaurant with them.
They absolutely prey on people who view them as a medical authority.
USPS Informed Delivery. Sign up for it for your address before someone else does.
Informed Delivery sends you image scans of all the mail you're going to get that day.
I have not heard if this had been fixed yet, but someone can sign up to get images of your mail (if you haven't done so already) and know when you're getting a juicy delivery, then they pick it up out of your mailbox before you do.
They can't just sign up, it's not quite that easy. You have to either verify your identity or send a verification code in the mail to make sure it's you.
Of course, if they can steal your mail then they can steal the verification code from it. I'm guessing whoever came up with that imagined everyone has locked mailboxes.
Wonder what happens when someone moves out, do they continue to get it?
When you file to have your mail forwarded, your informed delivery gets suspended. When you get to your new address you can reactivate it.
That sounds like an incredibly terrible roll out waiting for class action lawsuit.
Most scam avoidance can be boiled down to, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Nobody is giving things way for free without a good reason, so if it seems free, you'd better be looking for the hook in it.
Two recent examples:
At the zoo, there was a "free" raffle for a trip being given away. My wife and her friend were gungho to sign up. I told her I thought she should not bother because who knows where that information goes. A few days later, she gets a call that she "won" but it turned out to be a timeshare sales scam.
I was in BJs (warehouse store like Costco), and they announced on the PA there was going to be a free product giveaway. Specifically, they said, "You don't need to buy anything to get the free products, they re something BJs is testing out. All you have to do is come back to the deli area." Again, my wife and daughter are gung ho, but as soon as we get back there, I can see that it's typical manipulative / high pressure sales BS. He gave away cheap lens cleaning cloths, then started in on the pitch for some kind of plant-based cleaner. He led people into thinking he was going to give the cleaner away, but it was for sale, and the cheapo lens cloths from the beginning were to satisfy promise that you didn't have to buy anything to get your free item. I let them sit through the pitch because I thought it would be educational for my daughter to see how it would end.
Being this jaded can make me no fun at parties, but I have a hard time being rude enough to shut down the high pressure sales tactics, so having a hard rule makes it easier to manage, and not getting pulled in the first place is even better.
If you use a free anti-virus be expected for scare-tactics for them to try and trick you into upgrading.
For Windows users, I haven't really heard any reasons in a while to use anything other than Defender + not running sketchy_program.exe for basic use.
Only tangentially related, but this reminded me of how different anti-virus software used to compete, and at one stage if you tried downloading Antivirus X then it would be blocked as “potential threat” by Antivirus Y if you had it installed… so if you wanted to switch, then you had to disable or uninstall the old one first otherwise it would interfere with the new one.
Whole life insurance. It’s not what you need unless you’re wealthy and in a very specific situation. It just gets pushed because it gives a very high commissions to whoever is selling it to you.
If you want life insurance you need term life insurance.
It's not a scam though, I can see the value, honestly.
How much more? I can see myself buying it for the peace of mind. Currency loses value over time and they always jack up the price sky high as you age when it comes to term life insurance.
Most people probably don't need it and can do the cheaper one sure, but if the difference is a drop in the bucket it makes sense and it's far easier to budget. Even pays dividends! Pays to be rich.
Again the pitch sounds nice and that’s how they’re able to sell it, but with every financial decision you need to compare it to the alternative.
Whole life insurance is about 7x to 10x more expensive than term insurance. The sellers will say “but it’s an investment!!!” and then give you significantly worse returns than a basic index fund.
It’s more expensive life insurance than term and a worse investment than a run of the mill index fund. Your money is far better used elsewhere rather than most of your upside being gobbled up by the whole life provider.
I absolutely consider the aggressive sales tactics for a high commission and very poor returns a scam that takes advantage of people’s poor financial literacy. Especially when it comes from someone calling themselves a financial advisor while getting kickbacks.
Oh I see what you mean, yes, I agree!
For rich people the 7-10x is laughed off. For everyone else in the lower half, it's downright predatory. But folks target the lower half for their sales quota don't they, and that's the scam.
I remember a similar thing when it came to child registered educational savings plans: there are pushy sales people that sell a forced contribution thingy and tries to fool poor uneducated parents into signing up. I sat down with some and after their speech, I remember asking, so why would I lock myself in to this plan, pay your investment management fees, and be exposed to the danger of losing it all if I can't afford x consecutive payments due to life events, when the bulk of it is just my contributions plus govt grants? The people packed up their suitcases at that point.
Other parents I knew indeed did lose their entire contribution because they couldn't afford it when suddenly unemployed.
The plan isn't a scam.....sort of....but their profit model is definitely a scam.
Like time shares. Technically you do get what you agreed to pay, but the pushiness and their target demographic is the scam.
Absolutely, that’s a great way of putting it
Kickstarter scams are numerous and the site relies on community self-policing rather than any kind of merchant verification.
I've gotten burned a couple of times over the years, and Kickstarter has made no effort to remedy the problem since.
All of them. I think the most effective thing is to be on the lookout – check your bank statements regularly, have proper accounting, sort through your mail/email as it arrives. If you are on top of things you will be in a much better position to take action if you get scammed – waiting always makes things harder to reverse/contest.
Funeral panhandling. People wave signs and flag drivers down asking for drive by donations. It's a known scam, every day they're on a different street corner.
Also cold calls for firefighter or police charities. Just another scam.
https://old.reddit.com/r/tulsa/comments/1862vnj/fake_funeral_scams_watch_out_for_panhandlers/
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2022/police-charity-scam.html
HBO has a documentary that was made about the police fundraising scam. Telemarketers
Real estate.
That house that is selling for $1M but was originally bought for under $500k?
It's the same house.
It's not a real estate agent. It's a used house salesman.
Oh absolutely
But that shared bedroom you're renting for $700? :) the entire house mortgage only costs $500.
That's the bigger scam.
That's not a scam, that's capitalism. Oh, wait...
The mortgage might, but the taxes + insurance + repairs + HOA fees usually aren't going to be cheaper than the rent. The only way that usually works out in owning's favor is if the house has been owned for a long time.
Renting vs owning is not as black and white as many people make it out to be.
…and was originally built for $10,000. 😆
One thing to be wary of if the original $500k price was very recent is that this was a flipper house. You have to do a thorough inspection or really know what you're doing if you buy from flippers because they will often use substandard materials, cover up defects, and pull all sorts of tricks to make the price increase seem warranted (even when it very likely may not be).
Edit:typo
There’s plenty of things that could reasonably change the price of the “same house [and land]”, especially as the time window widens between the original sale and the current valuation. Any improvements made to the property, if there was a “correction” of a sale well below market, tax value reassessment, changes in the region’s desirability (amenities, services and schools, improvements relative to other areas people consider, etc), changes in market rate of the land independent from the structure, changes in the economic/loan/interest rate landscape, and more
It's the land, not the house. You can make more houses. You can't make more land. More people chasing the same land = higher demand = higher prices.