Some professions and businesses have reputations as being untrustworthy scam artists. That’s not always correct or fair, but these impressions persist among large portions of the population. What are some that people especially mistrust?
We looked around and saw which professions and businesses people often reacted to with skepticism. These are the professions and businesses with which people have often had bad experiences or are widely known as scams.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that every person who does these things is a scam artist, but do your research and keep your wits about yourself when dealing with this kind of profession.
Following are several that commonly come up.
People Who Want to Sell You Their Secret to Getting Rich
Some of these people actually did get rich their way, and some of these methods can work if you have the right support and resources, a big if. Most of these people, if they’re really rich at all, got that way by selling books and courses promising to tell you how to get rich.
Self-Help Vendors
There really are self-help specialists and programs that work. The problem is that they’re a small fraction of the many that are just trying to separate you from your money.
Timeshare Salespeople
There are people who have had good experiences with timeshares, but there are many others that have been misled and/or have lost money. The salespeople often dangle nice freebies and then just won’t take no for an answer.
Ticketmaster
With its fees, policies, and control over markets and venues, Ticketmaster has become one of the most reviled companies in America. On some internet forums, people quip that if they became king, the first thing they’d do is abolish the company and jail the CEO.
Telemarketers
Do-not-call lists and the proliferation of cell phones with unlisted numbers have made telemarketers less annoying than they used to be, but they’re still out there preying on the gullible. Some people turn the tables on them by leading them on and then at the last second hanging up.
Mediums, Seers, Fortune Tellers, Etc.
It’s hard to say how many of these people are true believers and how many are just scammers. Some of the worst are those they prey on grieving people by “connecting” them with their departed. Going in just for fun is fine, but the people taken in are true victims.
Televangelists and Faith Healers
Beware anyone using people’s faith to earn a living. They sell salvation, charity, and humility; then you find out they live in mansions and drive exotic cars. These scammers go back centuries.
Amway and Other MLM Schemes
The sales pitches make it seem so easy and impossible to fail. So why don’t you know anyone who got into one of these schemes and got rich? Typically, it’s only the people who start them that do well.
Chiropractors
Chiropractors treat pain and make you feel better, but they don’t address the underlying problem. That way, you keep coming back. They’re also not actual doctors, and there are cases of them causing permanent disabilities.
Carnival Barkers
The days of games rigged to be impossible to win are mostly gone, but the games still look simple while actually being incredibly difficult to win. As with things like fortune tellers, just go in for the fun and with the expectation that you’ll probably be throwing money away.
Influencers
A lot of people are still shocked that someone can go on social media and earn good money as an influencer. These influencers promote products and destinations just by spending their lives posting on social media. They create nothing, sell nothing, fix nothing, and so on.
Politicians
Politicians have always been among least trusted people in society. Most will tell you almost anything you want to get your vote. Then they earn a nice government salary, do little work, and spend their time posturing for the media.
Travel Insurance
It’s not just that you rarely use it. It’s also that there can be so many restrictions that even when you think you might qualify, you don’t. Just paying the change fees on the rare occasions these situations arise is probably cheaper in the long run, especially if you fly a lot.
Realtors
Realtors have helped make the process of buying and selling a home so complicated that it’s almost impossible to do without them. While good realtors will represent their client’s interests, remember that most have their commission as their #1 priority. If they can get you to sell for less or buy for more in order to close a sale, they will.
Used Car Salesmen
Here’s another one that always comes up. You can say pretty much the same about them as you can about realtors. Worse, though, is that many will sell you a car they know to have issues without telling you about them. It’s all about that commission.
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