55 Times People Thought They Would Earn Quick Money But Ended Up Being Shamed For Selling Trash

Recognizing when someone is trying to scam you isn’t always as straightforward as looking for someone twirling their villain-style mustache.

ScamWatch, under the Australian Government, warns that some scammers sell expensive products, such as cars, boats, or caravans. So, consumers should always inspect the product in person before committing to paying for it.

Similarly, you should beware sellers who are advertising new products at very low prices. If your gut tells you that a deal is too good to be true, it likely is.

As per a survey conducted by Clutch, 74% of respondents mentioned that they recognize that one warning sign of a scam is pricing that seems ‘too good to be true.’

Moreover, 70% of survey participants flagged grammar and spelling mistakes, and 59% said that unfamiliar URLs make them think twice.

And yet, despite this level of awareness, 56% of respondents reported having been scammed online.

The reality is that even informed and experienced consumers can fall prey to scams because scammers intentionally exploit people’s psychology and vulnerabilities.

Scammers are great at triggering people’s emotions to bypass their rational decision-making. In other words, they find ways to create a sense of urgency.

For instance, they might tell you that your account has been compromised to make you panic. Or they might pretend that there’s a fake flash sale and limited supplies of their low-quality or non-existent products or services.

Typically, scammers will aim to distract you so that you’re unable to focus and realize that you’re being swindled.

However, overconfidence among consumers can be a big source of weakness for scammers to exploit, too. “Overconfidence bias is another significant problem. Consumers who are more aware of scam tactics often believe they’re immune to them. This creates a false sense of security, which can backfire,” Clutch warns.

Something that you, as a consumer, can do is check the salesperson’s digital trail and history. If they don’t have much of a trail or a good reputation, you should be more wary.

In the meantime, with the spread of artificial intelligence-powered tools, scammers are using them to trick their victims. For example, they can fake realistic-looking and sounding faces and voices and automate personalized outreach. Fraud is becoming harder to detect, and scammers can sound and feel super professional. In this context, it pays to be skeptical of everything and everyone.

Nobody is expecting run-of-the-mill salespeople to be ‘perfect,’ top-tier communicators with amazing charisma, A+ marketing skills, and the ability to win over entire crowds.

However, if you actually want someone to buy what you’re selling, you need to get at least the basics right. You want to come across as someone reliable, not a potential scammer.

For one, you should be fully transparent about what you’re selling.

It’s one thing to draw attention to all the cool features and upsides of your products. That’s perfectly fine. That being said, you cannot stay silent about the downsides, drawbacks, or damage either. Your potential buyers need to know what it is that they’re purchasing.

You yourself wouldn’t want to be tricked when buying stuff online or in person. And neither does anyone else!

Not only is lying to buyers unethical, but on a cold, harsh, pragmatic level, false advertising can potentially land you in hot water with the authorities. Legal trouble is always a possibility.

For one, your reputation will suffer. If you often sell things online, getting poor reviews and being branded as untrustworthy will impact your sales and profits. Moreover, if you’re selling on online platforms, you could be delisted.

‘I Know What I Have,’ a private Facebook group created 7 years ago, currently boasts 138.6k members. It started out as a place where social media users could post the classified ads they stumbled upon that made them shake their heads, calling out “overpriced cars, owners that seem like they want to never sell, ridiculous claims,” among other things.

What’s your take, dear Pandas?

Who are the most delusional, entitled, and toxic online salespeople that you’ve ever had the (dis)pleasure of having a conversation with? What happened, and what red flags did you spot?

On the flip side, what’s the best experience that you’ve ever had with a person selling their stuff online? Share your experiences in the comments at the bottom of this list.