35 People Share Scams That Are So Normalized, We Don’t Even Realize They’re Scams Anymore
From constant, invasive ads, to subscription services, the modern world has a slew of annoyances that we all seem to dislike, but still participate in. So one account on X ended up creating a viral thread when it asked “What’s a scam that's so normalized that we don’t even realize it’s a scam anymore?”
People from all over the internet showed up to list the obvious deceptions companies pull regularly and we just eat up. So be sure to upvote the most egregious examples as you scroll through and share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
Image source: PicturesFoIder
This post may include affiliate links.
At airports particularly, as you are not allowed to take liquids (except in very small amounts) through security. You have to throw away your cheaply purchases drinks and re-buy them at inflated prices inside the airport. One way round this is to bring a water bottle and refill it with tap water once through security.
Local establishments are the worst ones to do this in my personal experiences. One local supermarket delivers within a 15 mile radius. You must place a minimum $25 dollar order. Ok, no problem. Well, $25 turns into $65 if not even more when you factor in the shopping fee (done by in-store personnel), baggage fee, load-up fee, mileage fee, delivery fee, mandatory tip to driver, which are alll the service fees involved in the delivery service ON top of the taxes/subtotal. If you order online instead of over the phone they’ll charge you a fee for that too. Not saying major chain stores don’t do this, but it seems to be the “homegrown” ones that take the most advantage of this practice. Why? When you shop local, the money you spend stays local; stays in the community. They’ll find every possible way they can to take advantage of that “benefit” and cash in as big as they can, including ringing up a bunch of b******t service fees they can choke on.
A car might often be the fastest way to get from one city to another (although I found that here in Germany, I usually am faster by train). But needing a car INSIDE a city makes no sense. It's the effect of absurd zoning laws. You don't need a car if shopping, culture, schools, parks and work are all in a fifteen minute radius.
I don't see working 40 hours a week as a scam. I see travelling into and out of work for 18 hours a week in addition to the 40 hours as the scam. PS, minimum wage in my country is twice minimum wage in the USA.
I've seen things before that were like that: Product 30$, Delivery 45$, and I can only say what the FŪCK is with those hidden fees? I don't believe for a second this is real delivery fees, they're just trying to hide the true price
I've lived in Japan now for almost 25 years. I have 0 US income. However, as a US citizen, I'm required by law to not only file an income tax return, even though I inevitably owe zero tax, but also file a form with the Treasury Department showing how much money I have in the bank.
No one is making you buy it? Water isn't clean enough for drinking in some cities/countries
Typically, if you're at a restaurant that sells a burger for $15 without a side they can't afford to include that side. There's a reason for separate charges on typically included items in comparison. However, even at fast food chains, individual items don't just come with fries and a drink unless you order it as a combo and pay more for it, so fries/a side shouldn't always be something that's expected.
What is with all the people saying "you don't HAVE to play the lottery"? A thing does not have to be mandatory/unavoidable to be a scam.
This is how the government pays for other stuff, like infrastructure. If you own more, you should pay more.
Switched over to Affinity suite long ago because fornicate CC
Definitely a scam. It's been known for many decades that adding more lanes just adds more traffic.
In Sweden its been changed recently. A plate model(?). Mer vegetables I guess? https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/matvanor-halsa--miljo/kostrad/tallriksmodellen#
I like how it's detailed and has example pictures :)
Load More Replies...
In the US this was changed several years ago. It was a scam, now it's nothing.
It's now called my plate and the definitions of things are much broader.
Load More Replies...
When you are 70 years old you have seen it changed too many times to take it seriously any more. I believe it is made from the best knowledge, but only the knowledge they have this year.
Actually if you cut out the sweets and put it upside down it’s not as bad
Load More Replies...Note: this post originally had 36 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
how is a coin operated car wash a scam? love that a lot of these have zero context or explanation
Politicians...vote for me I can make a change.........then there they are claiming everything in expenses, claiming what they can, ignoring the people who elected them and then immediately say "Vote for me I can make a change" and people do
The problem is there is no one to elect that isn't a thieving POS. You vote someone in hoping their better but it turns out their stealing from you and hope you die so you can just leave them alone with you complaints about "starvation" and "homelessness".
Load More Replies... How about the Government profiting off the illegal drug trade by taking large sums of cash for itself from it. That's a huge scam, and perfectly legal.
Credit scores. You are being manipulated into a pyramid scheme where you have to prove you are willing to pay increasing amounts of tribute to the people who hoard all the resources. Sad thing is, there is almost no way to get enough resources to break out of the pyramid without becoming dependant on it.
Ticket service fees - I can't pick it up, all you do is click a button, I do all the work, and still you charge me upwards of 40% the value of the ticket.
The biggest scam going on right now is the raising of interest rates to control wage growth in the US. Company raise their prices, government is all "That's just supply and demand. It's how capitalism works. We can't do anything". Workers pushing for higher wages before coming back to work and starting to make some ground. And the government is all "Oh hell no! Interest rates will keep going up until wages fall". So the commodity of labor is what? Exempt from capitalism's supply and demand BS? That's main beef with the US. It's f*****g hypocrisy. When business are raising prices and underpaying employees, well that's just capitalism. When those same businesses should be OUT of business, it's all "oh they are too big to fail. Let's bail em out". Bull! Let me fall. If they truly are "too big to fail" then the government needs to take them over.
Selling my personal data without my permission. Why tf should you get to profit from directing garbage companies to harass me?
I know this will be hugely unpopular, attesting to the fact is has become a mainstream scam. Teachers paying for school supplies! In what job, anywhere, does an employee pay for the supplies for their job, for their employer? Because sweet, little children, are attached it works. In my town (CT) U.S.A. 60% of our towns budget goes to board of Ed. End of year, dumpsters behind the schools, from local to state colleges are overflowing with unused, unopened school supplies. I'm not saying some school districts are not under funded, and I'm not talking lunches. But pencils, paper, necessary materials? STOP paying out of pocket teachers. Once you do, bet the BOEd will reconsider the million dollar salary for the superintendent and start trickling down the tax money to who needs it most . . . The students.
Doing everything they can to track every penny of people money to make sure the IRS gets their cut, instead of just taxing the rich AND learning how to manage and budget money like the lowly peasants have to
EVERY place having an app and and extra deal for them having ur phone #. But they r different deals. Have to do both. And then they all have their own credit cards too! Seriously Walgreens?!
Electric cars. You'll never get over range anxiety. Proof: When you Tesla runs out of juice or needs road service, you'll be rescued by a Tesla service vehicle ... that runs on gas.
you're paying them for fresh apples, you barely do any more work apple picking than you do just picking up the apples at a grocery store. They still have to do all the work
Load More Replies...
how is a coin operated car wash a scam? love that a lot of these have zero context or explanation
Politicians...vote for me I can make a change.........then there they are claiming everything in expenses, claiming what they can, ignoring the people who elected them and then immediately say "Vote for me I can make a change" and people do
The problem is there is no one to elect that isn't a thieving POS. You vote someone in hoping their better but it turns out their stealing from you and hope you die so you can just leave them alone with you complaints about "starvation" and "homelessness".
Load More Replies... How about the Government profiting off the illegal drug trade by taking large sums of cash for itself from it. That's a huge scam, and perfectly legal.
Credit scores. You are being manipulated into a pyramid scheme where you have to prove you are willing to pay increasing amounts of tribute to the people who hoard all the resources. Sad thing is, there is almost no way to get enough resources to break out of the pyramid without becoming dependant on it.
Ticket service fees - I can't pick it up, all you do is click a button, I do all the work, and still you charge me upwards of 40% the value of the ticket.
The biggest scam going on right now is the raising of interest rates to control wage growth in the US. Company raise their prices, government is all "That's just supply and demand. It's how capitalism works. We can't do anything". Workers pushing for higher wages before coming back to work and starting to make some ground. And the government is all "Oh hell no! Interest rates will keep going up until wages fall". So the commodity of labor is what? Exempt from capitalism's supply and demand BS? That's main beef with the US. It's f*****g hypocrisy. When business are raising prices and underpaying employees, well that's just capitalism. When those same businesses should be OUT of business, it's all "oh they are too big to fail. Let's bail em out". Bull! Let me fall. If they truly are "too big to fail" then the government needs to take them over.
Selling my personal data without my permission. Why tf should you get to profit from directing garbage companies to harass me?
I know this will be hugely unpopular, attesting to the fact is has become a mainstream scam. Teachers paying for school supplies! In what job, anywhere, does an employee pay for the supplies for their job, for their employer? Because sweet, little children, are attached it works. In my town (CT) U.S.A. 60% of our towns budget goes to board of Ed. End of year, dumpsters behind the schools, from local to state colleges are overflowing with unused, unopened school supplies. I'm not saying some school districts are not under funded, and I'm not talking lunches. But pencils, paper, necessary materials? STOP paying out of pocket teachers. Once you do, bet the BOEd will reconsider the million dollar salary for the superintendent and start trickling down the tax money to who needs it most . . . The students.
Doing everything they can to track every penny of people money to make sure the IRS gets their cut, instead of just taxing the rich AND learning how to manage and budget money like the lowly peasants have to
EVERY place having an app and and extra deal for them having ur phone #. But they r different deals. Have to do both. And then they all have their own credit cards too! Seriously Walgreens?!
Electric cars. You'll never get over range anxiety. Proof: When you Tesla runs out of juice or needs road service, you'll be rescued by a Tesla service vehicle ... that runs on gas.
you're paying them for fresh apples, you barely do any more work apple picking than you do just picking up the apples at a grocery store. They still have to do all the work
Load More Replies... 