Scammers walk amongst us, ready to pounce at a moment's notice! You don't have the be dumbest person in the room to be hoodwinked by a pro, in fact most of the time it's the smartest people who end up fleeced. So don't feel bad. Scams can be brought on anybody, then you'll just be better prepared for the next fool.
Redditor u/GransShortbread wanted everyone to know they could be honest about when they were bamboozled by asking.... What scams have you fallen victim of?
Chow Time.
Giphy
"Get this free magazine subscription! Just cancel it by calling the support line and dealing with some fool for two hours."
It's been almost a year and I'm still getting food network magazines. I can cook like a beast now though. UlfarrOT
Call from the Bishop.
I used to have a little computer shop here in Utah. I had a missionary (missionary suit, missionary name badge) come in asking for a charity PC build for a shut-in he was trying to help get on his feet. He said the bishop (for mormons, the head of the local branch of the church and has authority to give out money for charitable causes) would pay for it the cost of the parts if I paid for the labor. Not unheard of, sometimes the bishop will pay someone's rent for a month or two, pay to get a car fixed, so this request seemed perfectly within the realm of possibility.
So I threw together a decent little machine that cost me about $500 in parts. The 'bishop' called me to say once the guy picked up the computer, to head over to the 14th (or whatever) ward in Provo to pick up the check. Guy picked up the PC and I hopped in the car and headed toward provo and tried finding the address for this ward via phone information (this was pre smart phones and GPS maps....) and couldn't find it. I knew at that moment I got took.
I did manage to look the 'bishop's' phone number on some internet white pages site and found his address. I headed over there and big surprise: the 'missionary's' car was in the driveway. I called him and left a voicemail explaining Id be calling the cops if someone didn't return that computer.
I got back to the shop and the 'missionary' called and said he'd bring it back shortly. I called the cops anyway. Shop was literally across the street from our local cop shop so a detective came over and arrested the guy the second he stepped through my door. The PC was in his car so the cop took pics of it and let me take it back. Guy was convicted of theft by communication. had he been any smarter with his 'call from the bishop' he would have gotten away with it. TheGarp
$25!
This is minor, but the first time I went to San Francisco at night, I paid a "lot attendant" $25.00 to park. Turns out he was a homeless guy with a high visibility vest who picks up receipts off the ground and acts like he's in charge and gives you one when you pay him 25 bucks. The parking was actually free. RonSwansonsOldMan
Time Away....
Friend "Won a honeymoon vacation" at a Mexican resort. I tried to suggest that she might want to do some checking, but she was convinced. She and her new hubby get down there and get charged $2,000 for a week's stay. Bellamy1715
Heal the Virus.
Giphy
Free Minecraft. Well it just gave me a virus. But on the plus side, I got rid of the virus and still got to play Minecraft for free! Moogoesthecow71
That is genuinely amazing. But there are actual free games websites that give you the game without the virus. EbicGamer303
Sundays....
About 10 years ago I was meeting some friends after work one Sunday afternoon. I was meeting them downtown (Montreal) and I have no patience for parking so I parked in a parking lot. I walked up to the little hut to pay, got in line behind 2 other people the guy was serving, waited my turn and gave him my money.
He told me to park "there" and pointed. As I turned back around he jumped on a bike and took off. I, like the others ahead of me in line, didn't realize the lot was closed on Sundays... I give him credit though, not only was I scammed, I waited in line to BE SCAMMED! isit9yet
Where's my money MOM?!
"Oh I'll put the money in a special account for you" when you get money from the Relatives. Where's my money, mom? PM-ME-YOUR-FoUrSKIN
My grandpa and his wife would give a $1000 for high school graduation to each of the grand kids.
When I graduated they asked me if I either wanted the money now or put it in a savings account. I thought I was being responsible but seriously I have no idea where that money is especially when I really needed it for an emergency.
I told my brother to take the money when he graduated. naval_superman
Backflips....
When I (22M) was in third grade, this 4th grade girl that I had a huge crush came up to me when I was on the swing set.
She said "I bet you can't do a backflip out of that swing."
So of course I had to prove it to her that I could. So I do a backflip out of the swing and this witch steals it out from under me.
Didn't talk to her until this last year. We had drinks and laughed about it. AStraySnotRocket
I Love Bob's!
You know that Bob's Burgers episode with the kid selling magazine subscriptions to make money for a trip to Florida where they'll work on their communication skills?
Yeah, college me bought one, and I never got my damn Gamestop magazines. Fool wasn't nearly a dopey as the girl from Bob's Burgers though, he was pretty good at the scam. Or I was a complete dumbass. Either way. Locke57
Star Quality.....
Giphy
Talent agency. They had a full on office and rented space and debit machines and everything. Told me they'd be looking at casting me in commercials and small bits and work my way up.... then they asked for 150 up front for membership fees... never heard from them again. Saw a news program about 2 years later about a fraud agency bearing the same name where the owners went to jail for 7+ years so I guess silver linings. Improv92
There's nothing like leaving a movie theater having just seen an excellent movie.
Particularly one that took you by surprise.
Perhaps it was deeper and more meaningful than it purported itself to be, or on the flip side, had much more warmth and humor that you would have expected.
Or, the film took an unexpected twist that you never saw coming.
Resulting in your needing to bite your tongue until the rest of your friends and family see the film, and not spoil the surprise for them.
Redditor HornyCorny was curious to hear which plot twists left viewers utterly speechless, leading them to ask:
"What’s a movie twist that caught you completely off guard?"
He Didn't See It Coming Either!
"Brad Pitt in 'Burn After Reading'."
"So surprising and downright freaking hilarious."- thefirehairman
If The Shoe Fits...
"'The Shawshank Redemption'."
"Come on."
"It's not always a man notices another man's shoes."- FUBARspecimenT-89
Lucky For Some, Not For All...
"'Lucky Number Slevin'."
"Huge twist and very satisfying."- kvlr954
angry josh hartnett GIF
Giphy
Rosie O'Donnell Would Agree...
"Fight Club."- BuchseeI
"once watched it with a friend who had never even heard of it, and she called the twist like, a half hour in."
"She said it as a joke and didn't realize she was right until the actual reveal, but still I was shook."- yugosaki
I See You Keyser Söze
"The ending of 'The Usual Suspects'."- Schwarzes__Loch
Definitive Shyamalan
''The Sixth Sense'."
'I love movies with plot twists, but I never imagined this one. It caught me completely off guard."- lucasduka
Haley Joel Osment Movie GIF
Giphy
The Title Is Also Misleading...
"The second half of 'Parasite'."- iwontrememberthat4
Appropriately, They Really Toyed With Your Cognition
"'The Game'."- DudeHeadAwesome
"Good one!'
"I spent the entire movie going 'is it a game? Is it real?'"- fastpixels
There Were Definitely Ghosts...
"'The Others'."
"Unsuspected end."- NeckComprehensive743
scared horror film GIF by FilmStruck
Giphy
One Unforgettable Opening Scene
"'Scream'."
"The Drew Barrymore role."- LivingTheLife53
The Real Reason Everyone Is Terrified Of Bees...
"When I was a kid, I wanted to feel good and happy."
"So at the video store, I decided to rent a movie with two happy laughing kids on the DVD cover, thinking it would be a feel-good playful story."
"That movie was 'My Girl'."
"Eff that movie."
"Seriously."
'The DVD cover lies."
"IT LIES."- buckyhermit
You THOUGHT you knew who the villains were...
"'From Dusk to Dawn' — midway point."
"Didn’t know at all what I was walking into when saw it in the theatre decades ago — just, you know, Salma Hayek. Good enough."
"Quentin Tarantino slurping tequila from her foot after it ran down the entire length of her leg — that was already a 'Holy WTF' moment."
"But then, well.. . you know."
"And if you don’t know — quick, go watch it. "
"No trailer, no synopsis, no summary."
"Find it and load it 'blind' and fasten your seatbelt."
"You’re in for a wild ride."- canada11235813
George Clooney Tarantino GIF by MIRAMAX
Giphy
It's Title Is More Than Accurate!
"'Crazy Stupid Love'."
"The scene when the whole movie goes apesh*t in the yard is one of my all time favorite movie scenes."- Fimbulvintern
Trifecta Of Twists
"'The Others'."
"The end of 'The Mist'."
"'The Prestige' (though, I ALMOST had it figured out, but not quite)."- Krinks1
There's nothing better than when a movie surprises you.
Even if it does make talking about said movie with people who haven't seen it a bit more challenging.
Case in point, people who saw The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects after their endings were spoiled for them, don't seem to like those movies as much as those who went in blind.
Every family has its secrets.
It's up to every new generation to unearth it all.
Don't we all want to know if we're related to famous people?
Or what if we have a familial stake in lands and businesses?
Also, this is a good way to NOT end up dating blood relatives.
The more you know, the less awkward later.
As much as there is a lot of trauma there could be a lot of cool facts to to discuss at parties.
Redditor ForthrightPedant wanted to hear some interesting family histories, so they asked:
"What is a historical fact about your family that you think is kinda neat?"
I don't have any family history.
Of course I've done no investigating.
Maybe I do.
I should look!
Super Talent
Excited Happy Hour GIF by Boomerang Official
Giphy
"Great-grandpa created the Flintstones. Dan Gordon. Drew lots of Hannah-Barbara cartoons, and directed the first three animated Superman films at the beginning of WW2 as well as several seasons of Popeye, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound."
downnoutsavant
Bad Voyage
"My grandfather disliked America and wanted to return to Ireland. He booked passage on the Titanic’s return voyage. If it wouldn’t have sunk, no of us would be here."
mrseddievedder
"My great-grandmother was a Titanic survivor. She was a steerage-class Lebanese immigrant in an arranged marriage. Her husband went down with the ship but she managed to make it to a lifeboat and made it to the Carpathia. Then she remarried in a Lebanese neighborhood in Virginia. Had it not been for the iceberg that struck and sank the Titanic My family lineage would be different and I wouldn't be here. My family's official toast is 'to the iceberg.'"
jaspersurfer
Forgotten
"My husband's grandfather was one of the 'forgotten soldiers' in Canada. He was a Canadian-born Chinese man who asked the Canadian government to fight for his right to vote and a passport. Even tho he was born in Canada in the 20’s since he was Chinese he was not considered Canadian."
H"e was dropped into the Burma jungle and was told he would likely never return. He was in the 10% that did return. He was given the right to vote, to a passport, and to University."
"His wife is still alive today and my son is named after him."
cowskeeper
Can you imagine?
"My great-grandmother had 13 kids, so she was pregnant for literally a decade. There’s two hundred of us now, all because of this one woman."
CoverlessSkink
"My great grandma had 14 kids. My grandma was the youngest. She died giving birth to my grandma. The oldest child who was like 22 years old raised my grandma. My great-grandfather remarried a woman who had 10 kids of her own. My grandma would tell me stories of them all living together. Can u imagine? 😦."
Content_Pool_1391
Long Ago
american wtf GIF by unimpressionism
Giphy
"The land my dad was raised on and my cousins still live on was deeded to the family by George Washington as compensation for service during the Revolution. There was a document with his signature on it at the courthouse until a fire destroyed the records a few decades ago."
mustbethedragon
So much land and fortune and HISTORY has been lost due to fire.
Thank God we keep more than paper records now.
Over the Moon
Michael Jackson Dancing GIF
Giphy
"My second cousin is David Scott who walked on the Moon and drove the moon buggy. My mom does. He was so busy during the time when I was young that he even said later in life that he wished she’d gotten to know more of his family."
Roadgoddess
The Union
"Great-great-great grandfather on my mom's side was working his field in the part of Virginia that split off and became a new state because they didn't want to secede from The Union. Union soldiers came along looking for conscripts and he was a young, able-bodied man so they told him to come with them. He informed them he was a Quaker and thus a pacifist. According to family lore, that discussion went on for a bit but he would not give in. So they shot him and left him there. Good thing he had a couple of kids well before that day."
SpottyNoonerism
Opportiunities
"My great-grandfather was offered a chance to invest in a new invention by a guy by the name of Alexander Graham Bell. He declined, saying at most there would be one telephone per town."
Carson4307
"That is apparently my family too."
"One uncle apparently built a version of a hot water heater and then sold the design to GE for a good sum back then."
"Another uncle was asked if he wanted to be in a photo during his military service. He said no so they raised the flag on Iwo Jima without him in it."
"No idea if any of these are true, at best they are enhanced truths, but for me, I really hope they are true."
Jormungand1342
Underground
"I have a relative who worked for the Underground Railroad and had a price on her head in the South."
dahlia6767
"My uncle was a carpenter. And was doing restoration work on old houses in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Many of those old, historical homes had underground railroad passageways and hidden walls. He got to see and restore many of them. He had photos of some of the work he was doing and I got to see those as a kid. Living in Southern Ohio, we have a lot of rich underground railroad history here."
AddictiveArtistry
Family Empire
blood discussion GIF
Giphy
"My great-grandfather was the town police chief in the 1920s. His brother was the Mayor. Their cousins ran the casino."
"My family was a smaller version of Boardwalk Empire."
nowhereman136
Wouldn't we all love a show based on our families?
Then that's even more neat family history.
