There are some scams that are so common it’s a wonder you haven’t been scammed yet! Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and constantly developing new methods to deceive people and steal their money. Some scams are super common, but many people still constantly fall for them. Don’t be one of them and warn your family now!
Common Scams
People are becoming more aware of common scams, such as phishing emails and phone scams, but there are still many scams that people are oblivious to.
One Reddit User asked, “What is a scam that most people are oblivious to?”
We have compiled a list; if you wish to stay aware and protect your friends and family, keep reading to find out.
Naming a Star
A Reddit user commented, “Naming a star. It’s not official in any way. You just bought a certificate that some guy made in PowerPoint.”
Another user shared, “I used to run shows at a planetarium, we had to start keeping a stack of information sheets at the front desk due to the number of people who wouldn’t believe us about the scam, claiming we were just being lazy to not look up their star to point out during the show.”
Receiving Calls From a Loved One in Jail
A Redditor wrote, “I had someone call my Grandma and tell her that I was in jail and needed bail money. The thing is, I don’t have an Indian accent.”
Why is the target audience for this scam always grandparents?
Someone else shared, “Mine too, 2k. Now they think my brother is a liar. He was never in Canada grandpa! You should have called us first.”
Fake Computer Viruses
This one should be listed in the golden book of scams because we’re pretty sure all of us have been on the receiving end of this one at least once in our lives.
Someone shared, “My Mom was on the phone with one of these guys for about 20 minutes. They told her they were from Microsoft and they had detected a virus on her machine. They apparently got flustered with her not being able to follow instructions and hung up on her. I can imagine so since she has a Mac.”
Oops.
Weight Loss Supplements
So many weight loss scams prey on millions of people’s insecurities.
As a Redditor wrote, “Those diet shakes or meal/fitness plan regiments that every middle-aged mom seems to sign up for. So much money wasted on cheap food and a crummy dance workout.”
Someone else wrote, “Girls claim they lose weight with them and post suspiciously angled before and after pics. If they do anything at all, it’s a temporary tightening of the skin and loss of water weight.”
Promising Facebook Posts
A person said, “Anything having to do with Facebook posts such as these:
“I do not give Facebook permission to use my…”
“Bill Gates is giving $1000 to anyone who reposts…”
“Type ‘amen’ to see what happens…”
This has to be a universally shared experience amongst all Facebook users. None of us has escaped the wrath of these fake Facebook posts asking for likes, shares and comments.
Teething Necklaces for Children
A person commented, “Amber teething necklaces for children. Yes, these magic beads will cure your child’s teething pain, but if they stop working you need to remember to charge them in the sun! Seriously? I see so many otherwise intelligent people putting these things on their kids.”
A frustrated husband added, “It took FOREVER for me to convince the wife that it was b***. Not only is it b***, but it is also a serious choking hazard.”
Home Lockout Services
A Reddit user commented, “Home lockout “locksmith” services. Usually in states where you don’t need any kind of training or license to work as a locksmith. They are basically regular schmoes whose only tool is a f*** drill. They look at your lock, say they will have to drill it, drill it then offer you a cheap replacement for a ridiculous price.”
Damn, have you had any experience with such untrained locksmiths?
Multi-Level Marketing
Nothing is worse than being forced by family and friends to join a pyramid scheme. I’m pretty sure this is an experience most of us can relate to. As one Redditor shared, “Multi-level marketing schemes that promise quick riches. Not only are there huge financial risks with running such a business, but it can ruin your relationships with friends and family and your life.”
Someone else added, “Seriously, I had a co-worker who was in with every one of these Ponzi schemes. He would try to hustle everybody at work.”
Slot Machines
An experienced Vegas resident wrote, “As a Las Vegas native having worked within the gaming industry, slot machines are basically designed to separate you from your money.”
“They pay out eventually? Of course, they are legally regulated & obligated to do so. Will you be the winner? Nope. Will you break even at least? If you’re lucky. They take far more than they give, but give often enough to lull you into believing one of them will eventually out pay anything you put into it.”
“You are statistically more likely to win the state lottery jackpot than a slot machine megabucks payout.”
Fake Calls From the IRS
stokkete via DepositPhotos.com.
A user wrote, “The IRS calling your phone notifying you of a lawsuit. My dad recently got one of these “IRS lawsuit” calls and he asked the guy that does his taxes about it and he said they will never call you. People actually fall for this trick and release their SSN and have their identity stolen.”
As a rule, only hand out sensitive information, such as your social security number or credit card info, to people over the phone or the Internet if you’ve thoroughly verified the source.
Magnetic Bracelets
A person commented, “Magnetic bracelets. These have literally no effect on your blood flow. If there is an inappreciable force acting to increase the blood flow in one direction it has to be acting to decrease the blood flowing in the opposite direction giving a zero net effect.”
Have you ever worn a magnetic bracelet to control your blood pressure?
Nigerian Prince Scam
The Nigerian Prince Scam has to be one of the most popular scams of the early 2000s with so many people falling for it.
One user recalled a tagline from this scam: “Nigerian Prince at your service! I have $10,000,000 (TEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) ready for you if you help me!”
Another shared, “A law professor at my old university lost £200k to one of those Nigerian prince scams. You’d think he’d be smarter, wouldn’t you? You’d think.”
Virus Alert Pop-ups
The biggest scam of them all! Clicking on one of these virus alert popups will most likely download a virus in your laptop/computer that never even existed in the first place.
One Redditor explained, “When those pop-up ads say you got a virus on your computer when you really don’t. Ironically if you click it, you will probably get a virus. I had to explain this to my grandparents.”
Free Webinars
Someone wrote, “As someone who works for a promotional company that organizes free webinars, I will tell you first-hand that they are usually scams. All of the information presented in the webinar will be biased and written in a way to persuade you to buy the sponsor’s product. You will not learn any kind of secret, rare information that you couldn’t have just Googled. Also, the webinar may be “free,” but you pay with your personal information. Get ready for endless spam emails and phone calls.”
It would be best to only trust free webinars from a trustworthy organization such as your own educational institute.
The “Free Cruise” Scam
Have you ever received a call stating that you won a free cruise to an exotic location, and all you had to do was provide your info? If you have partaken, you’ve probably learned that it’s all a scam!
As one person wrote, “The robocalls which state, “You’ve won a free cruise to the Bahamas, we just need your credit card number to verify it.” I always wonder how many people actually fall for that.”
Social Media Account Suspension Threats
Someone wrote, “There was a big Instagram Verification spam. Had to repost an account and s*** or else “your account would get deleted.”
Anybody with an Instagram account will instantly know what we mean. To date, these posts forcibly asking for likes, shares or comments with the threat of account suspension, remain big on Instagram. They are mostly orchestrated by shady accounts to drive up engagement.
Detox Procedures
Someone wrote, “People drink s*** spicy maple lemonade for 10 days and tell everyone they know they’re cleansing out all their toxins.”
“Also those things where you put your feet in some special water or pads and it’s supposed to remove all your body’s toxins. Please, explain to me exactly what you think the biological method is, that’s drawing all the “toxins” in your body down to your feet and then out into the water/pad.”
Another added, “Do they even specify what “toxins” they are supposedly cleansing?”
Vector Marketing
One Reddit user shared, “College freshmen seem to be unaware of the Vector Marketing scam that you continuously see on campus. I’ve only ever had the guts to tear one sign down.”
Have you ever been part of a vector marketing scheme during college? What was your experience like?
Trimming Armor
belchonock via DepositPhotos.com.
If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you must be familiar with the term above. However, for those who don’t know, The Trimming Armour Scam is one in which the scammer pretends he is “trimming” armor for free only to steal expensive armor from other players in Minecraft. Hundreds of innocent people are scammed each year out of sets of expensive Minecraft armor.
One Reddit user shared, “I actually fell for that s*** once. The dude was talented and probably sells used cars now.”
Magic Crystals
Some Redditor sarcastically wrote, “Ah, yes. I’ll just put these crystals all over myself and hope that it detoxes me.”
Have you ever been influenced into buying some magic healing crystals as a one-stop shop to help with any and everything?
Do you believe in the use of crystals and the effects they might have on your energy?
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A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.