Interview With Expert
ADVERTIsem*nT
Don’t pick up the phone if an unknown number is calling. Change your passwords every 6 months, and never click on links from suspicious sources. Stop purchasing items from websites that don’t have plenty of reviews, and please understand that the person sliding into your DMs is not actually a Nigerian prince.
It’s easy to assume that you would never fall for a scam when you haven’t been the victim of one yet. But nowadays, it seems like grifts are running rampant online and in the real world, and they’re getting harder and harder to avoid. Below, we’ve gathered a list of scams people have fallen victim to and shared on the Mildly Infuriating subreddit, so you can be aware of these tactics and avoid making the same mistakes. Keep reading to find a conversation with Rebecca Edwards, safety expert and lead reporter at SafeWise, and be sure to upvote the schemes that infuriate you the most!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Scam Texts. But Scammers Are Such Fun To Mess With At Times!!
Final score:
219points
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Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het Community Member Follow
I am Nathaniel and your relative is hurt, cashapp me some money.
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Excuse me sir or madam, do you have a moment to talk about your car’s extended warranty? Oh, I mean, you won a free trip to Florida! All I need is your social security number and address, and I’ll send you all of the information you need. Oh, and you’re looking for concert tickets? Well, that’s an amazing coincidence because I just so happen to have tickets to that show that’s been sold out for months. Just PayPal me! Anyone who has a cell phone, an email account or has spent any time on the internet is well aware of the wide variety of scams out there. According to a Gallup poll, 8% of Americans admit that they’ve fallen victim to a scam in the past year, while another 7% report that at least one member of their household has been scammed. The majority of Americans say that they frequently worry about being scammed as well.
#2
Fb Marketplace Buyer Trying To Scam Me Won't Nut Up
Final score:
106points
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Mike F Mike F Community Member Follow
Oh Lord. That could turn ugly, lol.
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#3
I Hate Scammers
Final score:
89points
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Ample Aardvark Ample Aardvark Community Member
Phone massage 😆
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To learn more about these scams that are flourishing online and how to protect ourselves from them, we reached out to Rebecca Edwards, safety expert and lead reporter at SafeWise. Rebecca was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain why these scams have become so common. ADVERTIsem*nT “With the 24/7 news cycle and social media, it’s hard to gauge if there are more scams running rampant right now—or if we’re just more aware of it,” the expert says. “While I think it may be a little bit of both, there’s no question that scammers seem to be more brazen and emboldened these days. I think some of the contributing factors are widespread access, use, and reliance on the internet for conducting everyday business, from buying groceries to ordering medications. And it’s also the main place many people go for entertainment and community.”
#4
I Just Wanted To Be Careful And Make Sure I'm Not Scammed For A $700 Watch But I Guess A Picture Is Too Much To Ask
Final score:
82points
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Ken Beattie Ken Beattie Community Member Follow
Yep, that one is a scam.
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#5
So Is This A Scam?
Final score:
81points
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Tucker Cahooter Tucker Cahooter Community Member Follow
Its a dead giveaway that the URL doesn't even look remotely like anything from Amazon. Zero points for effort
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#6
Spam Calls Are Out Of Control. There’s 4 More Not Pictured From Today
Final score:
72points
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Nannychachi Nannychachi Community Member Follow
When I get a spam call like this, I answer and start tapping the numbers on my phone. One after another, quickly, until they hang up. I've gotten next to no spam calls after doing this several times. Sometimes I just scream into the phone. Hey, you get what you get when you call and interrupt me with nonsense.
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Rebecca noted that scams are often crimes of opportunity, so the more people who shop or bank online, the more opportunities there are for a scammer to strike. “I also think the lag between the justice system and technical progress is a factor,” she pointed out. “Because many scams can be hard to classify as crimes and consequences are very difficult to enact, people are getting away with it. The more people who get away with it, the more they (and other scammers) are empowered to keep going,” Rebecca explained. “And, of course, the anonymity of the internet is another part of this perfect storm for scammers.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#7
Got Scammed Ordering A Desk Online And Citi Denied My Dispute
Final score:
71points
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Mike F Mike F Community Member Follow
They're just as big at scamming as the worst of them.
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#8
I’ve Noticed People Sharing Scam Texts Recently. I Decided To Play Along
Final score:
67points
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Mike F Mike F Community Member Follow
It feels like a turtle biting your leg... 😂😂😂
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ADVERTIsem*nT
#9
I Literally Almost Got Scammed Exactly Like This The Other Day (Yes I Know, It Was Dumb Of Me)
Final score:
66points
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
Can someone tell me how Zelle functions that it enables scammers? Never used it before
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According to Rebecca, the most common scams people fall victim to tend to be bait-and-switch types of scams. “Whether it’s a product you’re buying online from a site like Temu or Amazon, a scammer on a dating website, or a text or email that looks like it’s from your bank, the IRS, or a family member, these kinds of scams are easy to fall for at first,” she noted.
#10
Customer In One Of Our Metro’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods Try To Scam A Free Meal
Final score:
63points
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dbildbo dbildbo Community Member Follow
Is it possible someone else picked up order and driver assumed it was customer?
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#11
My Sister Got Scammed In Jfk Airport
Final score:
60points
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ॐBoyGanesh ॐBoyGanesh Community Member Follow
Wait, so apparently the airline staff put them in a taxi to go from one terminal to another? I’m really not buying it. While JFK is somewhat confusing given how many terminals there are, the train between them is clearly marked, easy to access and one would literally have to purposefully avoid it to get to a cab stand. Who is ever at an airport and thinks the quickest way they move people between terminals is a taxi through arrival & departure parking and all the stops for unloading or picking up and pedestrian crossing to islands? This is silly. Also, I can’t imagine for a second with all the security & cctv that some airline employee is running a scam with a cab driver, given that the ease with which to identity the scam and the culprit. While I’m usually not skeptical or cynical, I cannot see how this really happened as told in this story. And I fly transpacific twice weekly!
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#12
When Scammers Text Like This
Final score:
57points
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Marcellus II Marcellus II Community Member Follow
Imagine meeting a creature IRL that looks like that filtered thing! You'd remember for sure.
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As far as how they get away with these schemes, Rebecca says, “The most successful scammers lull you into a sense of comfort and trust by impersonating someone you know (AI is making this type of scam so much more viable) or presenting as someone or something you’re attracted to and trust.” ADVERTIsem*nT “I’ve seen multiple stories this year already about people like me, who are watching for scams professionally, being pulled into something that turned out to be a scam,” the expert shared. “That means the scammers are getting smarter and even the most diligent of us can be taken in if the scammer is able to get us to let our guard down. Once the scammer is ‘in’ their behavior often changes quickly, making threats and demands that are effective because of the information they’ve gained about you or the relationship they’ve established.”
#13
Can Someone Explain This Scam?
Final score:
56points
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
Chocolate company? Watch out, Wīlly Wonka's sister is trying to lure some new Oompah Loompah into her grasp!
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#14
Article About Survey Scam Requires Survey To Read
Final score:
50points
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Šimon Špaček Šimon Špaček Community Member Follow
Hmm, I should show this to our security guy as an idea for next "will you click on phishing link?" exercise.
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#15
My Dog Went Missing The Other Day, This Person Messaged Me. Just A Little Tidbit, I’m A Straight Woman In A Relationship With A Man
Final score:
45points
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Snazzy Smurf Snazzy Smurf Community Member
That was someone full of cr@p trying to scam money. Once they realized it wasn't working they went off the rails.
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When it comes to protecting ourselves, Rebecca says the best way to steer clear of scammers is to face new/unfamiliar communications with a sense of distrust from the start. “This doesn’t mean you have to be paranoid or start wearing a tin foil hat, but that you should be proactive in verifying that an email, text, DM, or call is legitimate and from the person or company it claims to be from,” she noted. ADVERTIsem*nT “When it comes to phone calls, the best advice is not to answer unknown or suspicious calls and let it go to voicemail. If you do answer, don’t say ‘yes’ or confirm any information,” the expert continued. “Sometimes scammers are testing the waters just to see if a number is legit—then they often continue to pursue you. If you do answer and it feels off, trust your gut and hang up immediately. If you stay on the phone, ask for their information and say you’ll call them back. Ask for their name, employee ID, department, direct line, and supervisor, If they won’t provide that information, hang up.”
#16
Scam Text I Received
Final score:
41points
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Sue Denham Sue Denham Community Member Follow
I love you you and your friend go out to dinner to celebrate the little things like a random stranger's number being one digit off hers.
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#17
These Text Scammers Are Getting Smarter And It’s Scary
Final score:
38points
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Ronna Black Ronna Black Community Member Follow
Lucy really gets around, doesn’t she?
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#18
This Guy Has Been Trying To Scam Me From My Steam Account For The Past Year Now
Final score:
32points
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Mike F Mike F Community Member Follow
This one is over my old head.
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Rebecca also urges readers not to click on anything or reply after receiving any suspicious emails, DMs, or texts from strangers. “If the IRS or your credit card company needs to contact you, they won’t do it through such informal channels,” she explained. “Save or screenshot the message (in case you need it to pursue a complaint or criminal charges) and then reach out to the supposed source through the traditional channels (publicly posted customer service numbers, etc.) to verify if the message was legit or not.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#19
These Scam Websites That Are Inescapable Unless You Completely Close The Tab
Final score:
30points
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Snazzy Smurf Snazzy Smurf Community Member
A great AD block works for ones like this.
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#20
Got Scammed Trying To Buy Stick Figure Tickets
Final score:
27points
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Apatheist Account2 Apatheist Account2 Community Member Follow
Never sure if these should be read left then right, or top down.
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#21
I Keep Seeing This f*cking Garbage Scam Everyday, I Report Them Everytime I Stumble Upon Them
Final score:
26points
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
That's why I have Firefox with Ublock Origin on PC and Revanced on my phone. I haven't seen an AD in a very long time.
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Some red flags that Rebecca says to look out for are: “alarming language that creates a sense of fear and/or urgency to respond; messages that talk about an investigation, criminal case, or other scary event that you’ve never heard about before or received official notice of via regular mail or in person; and anything that asks you to confirm your name, birthday, social security number, bank information, or any other personal details.”
#22
I Keep Getting What I Suppose Are Phishing Texts From Random Numbers
Final score:
24points
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Binky Melnik Binky Melnik Community Member Follow
Why so scammers I’ve themselves away by asking about the weather. “We haven’t seen each other/talked/emailed/texted in ten years! How’s the weather?” because EVERYONE contacts old friends after years because they don’t know how to Google the weather. 🙄
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#23
Scammer Uncovered. I’m Out $30
Final score:
21points
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eric p eric p Community Member Follow
Why is anyone buying anything of tiktok? More importantly why is anyone over the age of 13 using tiktok?
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#24
Car Got Booted During A Concert Even Though I Paid For Packing. Showed Them The Receipt And They Took It Off. Seems Like A Scam
Final score:
20points
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Ken Beattie Ken Beattie Community Member Follow
Maybe not a scam as such, more like predatory and opportunistic. Instead of checking whether a car was legally parked they just boot everything and if you can produce the parking receipt take off the boot.
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Rebecca also urges readers to document everything. “If you have to fight a scam or are able to help prosecute a scammer, every bit of evidence you can produce will help make sure this person can’t do this to anyone else,” she explained. “Take screenshots, save messages, take notes, and tell someone else.” “If you’re already caught up in a scam, it’s hard for you to see the truth in the midst of all the panic,” she added. “Telling someone you trust can help clear the cobwebs from your eyes. After you talk to someone you trust, report the incident to the proper sources, which can include the FTC, local law enforcement, the company or organization being impersonated, and the platform where the scam originated or took place.”
#25
Spent A Few Days Writing A Song For Imaginary Scam Kid
Final score:
15points
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PFD PFD Community Member Follow
Biggest giveaway is offering to pay $500 for a 1-2 min song. Shoulda gone with $5 then switched to abuse and an assertion that the artist should be paying because it's worth loads more for the exposure.
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#26
Welcome To The "Fell For A Tourist-Scam" Club, Mate
Final score:
12points
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Zedrapazia Zedrapazia Community Member
That's a very typical replica based on a real lighter that, if I'm not mistaken, is in a museum. Is seriously anyone surprised that they didn't get the original? Should be obvious.
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If you’ve ever fallen victim to a similar scam, we hope you know you’re not alone, pandas. It can be incredibly difficult to know who to trust nowadays, but hopefully you’ve learned to be more cautious in the future. Keep upvoting the scams that you find particularly infuriating, and then if you’re interested in reading a Bored Panda piece featuring scammers getting told off, look no further than right here!
#27
I Thought I Was Finally Getting Commissions, But Instead I Had To Deal With Scammers
Final score:
8points
POST
Ken Beattie Ken Beattie Community Member Follow
So how does this scam actually work? They're offering to pay. You can create an invoice through paypal. So what? the person does some sort of charge back against the paypal payment? Or do they believe the person is fishing for their paypal name in the hope they can guess a password and get in?
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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism and_a_touch_of_the_’tism Community Member Follow
Someone has been sending the exact same scam text to a bunch of people in my area, I’ve gotten it twice, and it’s hilarious. The text says “ The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse and cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information. Please confirm your address in the link within 12 hours.https://usps.kddwuvyhbz.top(Please reply to Y, then exit the SMS, open the SMS activation link again, or copy the link to Safari browser and open it)The US Postal team wishes you a wonderful day”
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️ ️~ lefty libra️ ~ ️ ️~ lefty libra️ ~ Community Member Follow
me too! i havent gotten one in a while, i block every single last one of them
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weatherwitch weatherwitch Community Member Follow
Some of these were insanely hard to work out just WTF was happening. I follow Action Fraud 🇬🇧 on fb to keep up with the latest scams and Jim Browning on YouTube too. It's sad that the first thing people think of is scam if they receive a wrong number text or phone call. Accidents happen and also people lose touch. Don't answer or be very careful with your information and if unsure just stop responding. But also register your phone number with the organisation in your country that stops unsolicited calls. I haven't had a spam call or text in a decade or more.
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Sally Signup Sally Signup Community Member Follow
I get so much of that c**p that it barely registers with me anymore. I just delete it and move on. Though the one I think is fun is the one where they think they'll blackmail me with spreading "self-pleasure" videos captured off of my webcam if I don't give them bitcoin. Yeah, good luck with that, since that content doesn't exist (and there's no webcam anyway.)
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weatherwitch weatherwitch Community Member Follow
I got one of those emails about 8 years ago. I didn't reply but Really wanted to.. No webcam And I'm Asexual 🤣🤣🤣
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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism and_a_touch_of_the_’tism Community Member Follow
Someone has been sending the exact same scam text to a bunch of people in my area, I’ve gotten it twice, and it’s hilarious. The text says “ The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse and cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information. Please confirm your address in the link within 12 hours.https://usps.kddwuvyhbz.top(Please reply to Y, then exit the SMS, open the SMS activation link again, or copy the link to Safari browser and open it)The US Postal team wishes you a wonderful day”
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️ ️~ lefty libra️ ~ ️ ️~ lefty libra️ ~ Community Member Follow
me too! i havent gotten one in a while, i block every single last one of them
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weatherwitch weatherwitch Community Member Follow
Some of these were insanely hard to work out just WTF was happening. I follow Action Fraud 🇬🇧 on fb to keep up with the latest scams and Jim Browning on YouTube too. It's sad that the first thing people think of is scam if they receive a wrong number text or phone call. Accidents happen and also people lose touch. Don't answer or be very careful with your information and if unsure just stop responding. But also register your phone number with the organisation in your country that stops unsolicited calls. I haven't had a spam call or text in a decade or more.
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Sally Signup Sally Signup Community Member Follow
I get so much of that c**p that it barely registers with me anymore. I just delete it and move on. Though the one I think is fun is the one where they think they'll blackmail me with spreading "self-pleasure" videos captured off of my webcam if I don't give them bitcoin. Yeah, good luck with that, since that content doesn't exist (and there's no webcam anyway.)
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weatherwitch weatherwitch Community Member Follow
I got one of those emails about 8 years ago. I didn't reply but Really wanted to.. No webcam And I'm Asexual 🤣🤣🤣
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