There have been scams as long as there’s been people. Scams change and morph over time, so there are always new scams for people to fall for.
Many people are falling for modern scams that usually involve either the phone or the internet. Many of these could be avoided if more people knew what they were.
Jail Scams
There is a rapidly growing scam out there that has people forking over thousands in fake bail costs. The scammer calls someone and pretends to be their child or grandchild and says they’ve been arrested and need money sent right away.
Romance Scams
Many people start a romance online, or they have their entire relationship online. This can lead them to have interactions with a scammer who gets them to send money for things like plane tickets to visit.
Computer Viruses
When Microsoft calls you to tell you that you have a computer virus, it’s a scam. Microsoft calls no one, and they have no idea if you have viruses. These are people trying to get access to your computer.
Power Company Scams
If someone calls and says your power is about to be shut off unless you pay them over the phone, it’s certainly a scam. Power companies just shut off power- they don’t tell you about it beforehand.
Car Extended Warranty
This is so common it’s become a cliche, but people are still falling for it. The caller will say your warranty is about to expire, and you need to buy a new one through them over the phone. Hang up!
Shady Crypto Sellers
If you want to invest in crypto, there are many reputable places where you can buy and sell it. Avoid any off-brand company that you’ve never heard of. These places can pop up and go under just like that.
African Needs Help With Bank
If anyone from Africa, usually Nigeria, tells you they have tons of money in the bank and need your help to get to it, delete it. This is an old scam that keeps being used because people keep falling for it.
Subscription Apps
Several apps advertise being free unless you read the fine print. After a few days, the app charges you a high rate for a weekly or monthly subscription. Read carefully if you aren’t sure if an app will charge you later.
Scammy Auction Sites
Sites like Dealdash advertise that people get expensive things for just pennies on the dollar. And they do, but they also have to pay big bucks for each bid they make. The price ends up being the same as you’d pay elsewhere or even more.
Getting Rid of Toxins
Just about everything that says it will rid you of “toxins” is a scam. It may be a special bracelet you wear, foot pads, or something else ridiculous that’s supposed to instantly make you healthier.
MLMs
Many multi-level marketing companies try to tell you that you’ll be starting your own business and will make big money. They don’t tell you that it’s a pyramid scheme and the people who got in early are usually the only ones to make any money.
Televangelists
While wanting to give to charity is a noble thing, many televangelists ask for money and people assume it’s for charity. When a televangelist has multiple plains, the funds aren’t going to the needy.
Large Sodas at Restaurants
When a restaurant has various soda sizes and you’re thirsty, you get large, right? This isn’t the best move since the refills are free. Get the smallest one they have and just get it refilled a lot.
The Lottery
Sure, people do win the lottery, but it’s astronomically rare. Many states promise that the money will be used for a good cause. What often happens is that the state pulls the budget it had for that area and replaces it with the lottery proceeds. It doesn’t increase the amount they get.
Wedding Costs
When you’re securing items and services, and the vendors know it’s for a wedding, the cost goes up. Anything that’s marketed as a wedding item gets a steep markup without any good reason for it.
15 Behaviors That Are a Dead Giveaways Someone Is Poorly Educated
We all like to think we are always acting at our most intelligent and rational. Yet, ignorance from a lack of education can sneak up on us or be on full display in others.
Awareness is key to preventing and correcting some of our worst ideas and behavior. Here are 15 signs of ignorance and poor education to look out for.
15 Behaviors That Are a Dead Giveaways Someone Is Poorly Educated
15 Things People Mistakenly Think Are Real but Aren’t
People believe all kinds of ridiculous things, and they believe some true-sounding things that are actually false as well. Some of these things have been repeated for ages and will probably never go away.
Others have sprung up more recently and spread fast, thanks to the internet. While you probably can’t convince the people who repeat such misinformation that they’re wrong, you can at least know the truth when they try to push it on you!
15 Things People Mistakenly Think Are Real but Aren’t
The 20 Most Successful Singers Of All Time
It’s easy to judge the success of an artist based on how many Grammys they’ve won or by how much money they’ve made. A better look at success, however, is to see how many singles they’ve released relative to the number of Grammys they’ve won.
According to BonusInsider, these artists are the most successful based on these metrics.