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There are plenty of seemingly innocent products and services out there that are just elaborate ways of getting you to part with your money. They might not try to bamboozle you as obviously as some spammers and con artists, but underneath all the glitz and glamor, they’re still scams.

Redditors have been sharing their opinions about what things they consider to secretly be giant scams after redditor MelteyReddit asked them to share their thoughts on this. In a viral thread, these redditors touched on everything from baby products and printer ink cartridges to a variety of questionable ‘health’ products and multilevel marketing companies. You could argue one way or the other for some of these, but that’s half the fun.

Check out what these people think are total scams, meant to get you to hand over your hard-earned cash, and upvote the opinions that you agree with as well. Disagree with any of these opinions? Know of any other things that you think aren’t much better than actual scams? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Meanwhile, be sure to read Bored Panda’s in-depth interview with the author of the thread, MelteyReddit.

#1

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams This might be unpopular but here goes.... The Catholic church. Currently worth 30 billion, the Vatican has 8 billion in assets . In 2014, it was discovered they were hiding 1.1 billion off the books. Why aren't these funds going to the poor? In 2019 it was discovered the Vatican was heavily invested in unreported luxury apartments. Then there's the ugly stuff all this money is financing; Until 2014, the age of consent in Vatican city was 12. Yes. Twelve - the lowest age of consent in the world. It was only changed after the pedophilia scandal took hold. Then there's the wide history of evils brought on by the church; the ivory trade, castration of young boys (castrada), the Spanish Inquisition, Holocaust denial, cutting funding for the poor with LGBQ ties and on and on.... The Catholic church provides a thin veneer of "good" for their followers, but for centuries they've been feeding corruption beneath the surface and continue to do so.

decorama , Reinaldo Kevin Report

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    #2

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Convincing every high school kid they NEED to go to university. In reality skilled Trades or another specialized school would be the best route for a lot of people, and the pay can be very good.

    alp1ne , Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz Report

    Hugh Willie Mungous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of the great mistakes of recent Western thinking was the decision to push so many of the young towards higher education (and in to degrees of limited use) and away from apprenticeships. This has resulted in heavily indebted graduates who are of no use to the job market and an extreme skill shortage.

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    #3

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Scientology

    droflo420 Report

    Redditor MelteyReddit’s question got quite a bit of attention on r/AskReddit. Their thread got 20.2k upvotes and 15.4k comments, while the original poster racked up a whopping 55 awards at the time of writing.

    “When I first published my question, I didn't think it would get so much attention. I thought to get a few responses here and there but quickly realized my phone exploded with notifications,” the redditor shared with Bored Panda how they reacted to their post going viral.

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    “The reason why I think [the question] resonated so well is because it's a very open discussion that can be easily argued about,” they pointed out that there’s quite a bit of nuance in the thread and not everything is as black and white as it seems.

    #4

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any product that's made by Gwyneth Paltrow

    lamesas Report

    Chris Wade
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Love her in movies but man, she's off her nut lol

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    #5

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Anything that says it will detox your body. That's what your kidneys are for.

    drromancer , Birgith Roosipuu Report

    Milan
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Detox is a big big lie (bullsh*t)

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    #6

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams US healthcare system. I went to the ER a few weeks ago for an unknown pain in my chest and overall sh***y feeling. Got slapped with a 1500 bill with what turned out to be viral food poisoning. My brother, who is a doctor, said that was normal. Why the f**k is that normal?!

    bluthco , National Cancer Institute Report

    A B C
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because that's what a sad majority of the US-Americans wanted and still want, because the Orange tells them lies about how paying such ludicrous amounts (and $1500 is cheap) is better than having universal healthcare. I'm sorry for you folks.

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    MelteyReddit personally believes that it’s vital to know where your money is going. “I always try to stay up to date with where my money is going. If you are unsure if something is a scam, you can try looking it up on the internet to see how other people feel about it,” they urged people to do their own background research before purchasing something. What’s more, if your gut says that something’s off, chances are that something fishy is actually going on.

    In MelteyReddit’s opinion, there are a few things that stand out and scream that something’s secretly just one big giant scam.

    “I think the best way to recognize one is by a few factors, [for example,] if they are really pushy about a product that they wanna sell or if the website design/product design looks fake/rushed. Or if they ask an unreasonable amount of money for their product,” they shared their take on how to recognize hidden scams. “An answer posted a lot on my post was the lottery or casinos. Of course, we can't forget those.”

    The author of the post added that they’re thrilled and thankful to everyone who engaged with their thread on r/AskReddit. “I want to thank everyone for answering my post, it means a lot to me!”

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    #7

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Funeral services, preying on the grief of loved ones. I understand that its really for the living to celebrate their lost loved ones, but when I'm done I just want my family to bury my dead ass in the backyard and throw a bash at the house in my honor. Doubt I'll mind considering I'm dead.

    SingleFunction80 , Rhodi Lopez Report

    Lytha
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the prices are crazy. You just lost someone you love and you literally have to wonder how you're going to pay for their funeral.

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    #8

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams That humans are here to just work and die. No way humans evolved so we can work 5 of 7 days of the week, trying to jam fun in on weekends

    Visible-Activity2200 , Alex Kotliarskyi Report

    Emowan
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't really afford it, but I now only do 2 hours on Wednesday morning instead of a full day. I use the rest of the day for appointments and relaxation. Been a godsend for my mental health.

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    #9

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Emails and messages from corporates and celebrities that "We are in this together" during the pandemic.

    northern_light007 , Stephen Phillips Report

    Lytha
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All sent from their villas to several million while we "essential workers" continued to go to work to be paid trifles.

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    For an earlier article, I’d spoken with one of the mods helping run the r/Scams subreddit, a community that helps support the victims of scams and help inform them about the various ways criminals might try to bamboozle them.

    One of the mods told Bored Panda that rudimentary research, education, and preparation all make a huge difference when trying to recognize scams for what they are. Nobody is ever 100% foolproof, no matter how insightful and perceptive they might be, but it’s always better to educate ourselves. Internet scams, in particular, can be more difficult to recognize in some cases because you’re no longer dealing face-to-face with a real-life person.

    “When you have a real person in front of you, a typical person will feel shame or guilt at the thought of taking advantage of a person. With the internet, you aren't dealing with a person, but a username and avatar. It is much easier to act maliciously when you don't have a real victim directly in front of you," they explained.

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    #10

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Planned obsolescence.

    recaffeinated Report

    Gandalf the Pink
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A bit lacking in elaboration here so: Planned obsolescence is the practice of artificially making a product's lifespan shorter so people will replace it more often. This leads to a massive waste of resources and towering amounts of hardware trash that most often isn't recycled. Poisoning the planet all in the name of profit. If you wonder why phones seem to generally break just in time for a new generation of phones that's why. Nokia bricks was never as profitable as today's iPhones which a lot of people replace semi-anually. Imagine building yourself a house but not making it as sturdy and long lasting as possible. Planned obsolescence is seriously a horrifyingly Earth-destructive strategy. Another good example is light bulbs, which early models could last many years or even decades but today's light bulbs are manufactured to last about a year. Check out "This is why we can't have nice things" by Veritasium on youtube!

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    #11

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Organized religion.

    thedeadeye , Aaron Burden Report

    Mike Crow
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Organized religion is now big business, especially in the USA.

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    #12

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The whole baby product industry is based on making parents feel worthless and irresponsible if they don’t shill out for things that will be outgrown or unnecessary in six months.

    mywifemademegetthis Report

    Lytha
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When my son was born, as soon as I went out with him, even for an hour, I literally took EVERYTHING I could need. My bag weighed tons, but I was like "you never know". A few months later, I took a diaper or two, wipes and something to drink. And I had a lot of stress in less. It's difficult because indeed, as young parents, we take a lot of judgment in our teeth. "Ah, didn't you take (insert here the super crappy trendy thing that everyone considers essential)?" "You only took 12 diapers for an hour's outing ??? how are you going to do it?" "Do you use disposable wipes? I thought you were green?" "Is your stroller a second hand? You should have bought the (insert here a trendy stroller that costs a kidney)" ....

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    “Online scams also use a lot of tricks to pressure buyers; low prices, pushes to buy now!, taking advantage of someone's kindness or naivete (re: advance check fraud, money mules, etc), or advertising one product and sending another (or nothing at all, by using a fake tracking number). Getting a person to make a decision via high-pressure tactics and preventing them from reflecting and making a sound decision is key," the mod from r/Scams told Bored Panda earlier.

    "If a deal is too good to be true, it is. If you see a pair of brand new Apple AirPods advertised for $50, you are not getting an authentic product. There are many counterfeit items out there on the market, and you need to verify authenticity before hitting buy," they said.

    "Not only to avoid contributing to the counterfeit market, but because these knockoff products do not always go through the same safety standards of the real item; they may not be UL certified, they may use chemicals or ingredients that are not FDA approved and are unsafe for use on or in the human body, or could cause major harm to human life or property."

    #13

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any claim that a 'magic' drink will help you burn fat. No, no drink or no food can burn that -- that is a pure fabrication.

    moosejaw110 , Alex Lvrs Report

    Milan
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Eat less calories than you burn is the magic math…

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    #14

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Ink cartridges for your printer are super cheap to manufacture but the retail price is really high

    holytaco57 Report

    Trillian
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why they can make printers super cheap. You will pay through the cartridges

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    #15

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The wedding industry in the U.S. $20,000 - $30,000 for a single day, stressful-as-hell event. When I learned a photographer alone runs $5000 minimum I almost puked. And a lot of venues didn’t give a s**t about covid and hosted packed weddings, resulting in deaths because “wE gOtTa MaKe MoNeY sOmEhOw” Absolute slime balls. Now before all the vendors dog pile me, let me be clear, I’m fully aware why you guys charge as much as you do. I also hope you understand why an average person like me looks at the price and says hell no. And for those that want a conventional wedding: If you can swing it, do whatever you want. My wife and I did a Sandals all-inclusive vaca/wedding/honeymoon, which has its own pros and cons but still a no-brainer due to the cost and convenience.

    CaptainPlummet , Shardayyy Photography Report

    Lytha
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A closed friend had a "dream" wedding, very expensive, very "conventional", very "not her". And when I found out the amounts allocated for this wedding, it hurt me a bit, because if I had such an amount, I could have finished paying off the house ... (spoiler alert, this was 15 years ago and the house is not yet reimbursed: D)

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    #16

    Bottled water, looking at you Nestlé

    some_bs_name_ Report

    Hugh Willie Mungous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've only ever bought bottled water when I was in a jam - whenever I needed water and couldn't get tap water easily. I've never understood why anybody would waste their money on bottled water.

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    #17

    Instagram fitness model meal plans. I cant believe people still pay them a lot of money for cookie cut meal plans and fitness advice. They are literally just pulling s**t off of google, copy paste your name, and make you think its personalized for you. Taking advantage of dumb people who are desperate to lose weight. Its pitiful on both sides.

    thascarecro Report

    Suzanne Haigh
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would not call them dumb or pitifull, I would say "Hopefull" or "Desperate"

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    #18

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any online course promising to teach you how to make money

    Sullixio , Samantha Borges Report

    Chloe *Leah* Pheonix
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I basically make 80000-1000000000000 per day>>>>>>>omg so life changing>>>>>>>work online>>>>>>>*insert sketchy link*

    Aria Whitaker
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I almost reflexively downvoted this Chloe! LOL...good one.

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Step one: Invent a course teaching people how to make money. Step two: Get some poor shmucks to pay for it...

    Foxxy (The Original)
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know this is a little different coz it's a book, not a course. But I have heard rave reviews for The barefoot investor, it's a book about saving and making the most of what you have. I've never read it but I'm considering it. Although I have been considering it for a few years now and still haven't read it lol.

    MrOwlAteMyMetalWorm.
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    https://1lib.in/ https://1lib.in/s/the%20barefoot%20investor -------}A little gift from me,free access to digital copies of almost all books just download an ebook reader for example eReader Prestigio,it even allows to listen to it being read aloud.I am not advertising anything ,I just like books and well,everyone should have to access to it.

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    Sharrow
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If it's a computer programming course, it might work.

    Kathryn Baylis
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In a way, they kind of do. Just start up a online course on how to make money, charge people—-scratch that, nickel and dime people—-to take different segments of it, and you’ll make money!!!

    Michelle Line
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "trump University" should have it's own posting here.

    David carro
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lesson one: open an online course on how to make money Lesson two charge 300€ per course Lesson three, find 100 loosers. Lesson four: dissapear and close the page before lesson 5. Lesson 5 (private): buy new car. Lesson 6 (private): start again, as mortgage does not pay itself.

    Thay
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean.. In a way they ARE teaching you.... By robbing you😆

    Janet L
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Run an online money making course - never fails

    Eglė Bukauskaitė
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The only lesson i learn from them - make my own course and ACT like i know what i'm talking about

    Thomas Turnbull
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are so many if it’s that good they would keep it to themselves

    Kelly Hartle
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How to make money—start an online course.

    Paloma Vita
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes... unless they teach you how to design an online course to teach people how to make money.

    Immortal Emperor Paradox
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Many of the things here can be avoided just by using your common sense.

    Roxy Eastland
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It has always been the case, since even before the internet, that anything that promises you can make hundreds (or thousands) working from home without any qualifications or ideas is a scam. My husband and I have been through all this (decades ago when we were young and naïve), thankfully we spotted things weren't right quickly and didn't lose much, although it still hurt and in one case was embarrassing.

    Aly
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i make 1 million a month with www.boredpanda.com 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

    Karin
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's one born every minute!

    M
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ...that's a really cute font, though

    Jarrod Nichols
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How to make money: 1. Get a job. 2. Go to work. 3. Repeat. 4. Repeat. 5. Repeat...

    Courage the Cowardly Dog
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not necessarily a job but a skill. You can't make money if people can't make money off of you.

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    Lauren
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ahh. but they do teach you how to make money... create a sham company and start your own "How to Make Money" course.

    Brendan
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kinda like university lol.

    Michigan Guy
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hold on now, i have an online course. it's only .79. here: get a job, show up, do it, and get paid. see. easy..

    Sage Gusano
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Let me share my secret as to how I made $1M in three months!" Actual secret is that he charged people for some poor ad copy that teaches them nothing.

    Giles McArdell
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The secret is to sell online courses on how to make money.

    kjorn
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    how to makes money... by making online course telling others how to makes money

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    #19

    Two-party political systems. They seem to be in opposition to each other but in reality take "donations" from the same entities to further their agendas, so the sense of choice is mostly false in reality.

    Mr_Lumbergh Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I only know of the US that does this (Though I guess the UK comes close?) and from the outside it seems that that whole system needs to be scrapped and started over. It looks broken beyond repair.

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    #20

    All multi-level marketing companies. They tell you that all you have to do Is get 5 people to sign up and they each get 5 people to sign up, etc. Except these are not mathematical geniuses running these companies. By the time you get about 12 levels deep, you’ve surpassed the entire population of the Earth. It’s a good lesson in exponents.

    FatherPyrlig Report

    Kathryn Baylis
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just look at who falls for them, in huge numbers, and you’ll see why they don’t want the best and brightest. They don’t intend for anybody to do anything but spend money buying stock to sell.

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    #21

    Companies saying their employees are valuable to them and they care about their employees.

    Uncertn_Laaife Report

    Kathryn Baylis
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The emptiest f*****g words in the world.

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    #22

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Casinos. All of the casinos in my state are video poker and video slot machines. There are barely any table games left. No one is happy, no one is having fun. It's just a room full of zombies feeding the machines and losing money. Every person I talk to is convinced that they know the secret formula to win. You cannot win. It might sound trivial but the old slots were just a spinning reel. These new machines are extremely addictive. The way the lights flash and the sounds go off like: Bing Bing BING. WINNER of 40 cents. The entire thing is a psychology hack to give people the impression that they're winning when they're not.

    MSFNinja , Kvnga Report

    Sam Kunz
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have a new Casino near where I live. I stopped in because they were offering a free buffet. I walked around and saw one person sit down and start to win hand over fist on a video slot. People crowded around the person. This person made thousands in minutes. Then got up and disappeared into the crowd but I followed and saw this "Winner" sneak into an employee only door. This person was paid to pretend to win.

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    #23

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams College tuition. I graduated with a B.S. Information Technology and Computer Science. Working at a job and earning just as much as my coworkers who didn’t go to college and earned certifications. They have zero debt, while I’m $40k in the hole.

    Accurate_Interview10 , Vasily Koloda Report

    beastmachine.
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dude I'll be getting into uni next month and my fees are about $300/yr for a STEM/CS deg that includes tuition and lodging along with food coz it's sponsored by government. For places that aren't sponsored you may have to shell out $4000-5000/yr and that's pretty reasonable

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    #24

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Trying to look good for men by reading women's magazine articles! Throw those magazines away, take good care of yourself, make the best of what you've got and don't be defined by someone else's expectations of what you should be.

    KatPrincess88 , Charisse Kenion Report

    Hugh Willie Mungous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Men don't have these weird expectations of women either.

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    #25

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Recycling plastics. Less than 10% of plastic waste is actually recycled.

    vitto2point0 , Julia Joppien Report

    Hugh Willie Mungous
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why not just ban the use of single use plastics? It is easy - and quite a few countries have taken major steps in this direction. We can (and have in the past) relied on glass bottles, paper bags, paper straws, card burger containers, card ear bud shafts etc. etc.. Profits need not be affected (heaven forbid!) and most/many consumers would tolerate the tiny increase in prices.

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    #27

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Apple cables

    hellofellowhumanss , Mika Baumeister Report

    ben woskje
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The apple eco-system - all of it. Intentionally created to be product specific, always technically behind the current technology standards - creates an obscene amount of waste... all to lock people in.

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    #28

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams In the US, doing my own taxes. The government literally has all my info and can do it for me, but their excuse is that "but Americans like doing their own taxes!". No. I especially don't like being forced to pay for a service like TurboTax either.

    turnOn , Kelly Sikkema Report

    Gin. No tonic
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In my country taxes are done on a government's website, where most of the info is already inserted and I just have to check it or can add some extra expenses (such as giving back education/housing loan). It takes no more than 15 minutes once a year

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    #29

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Essential Oils being marketed as having these major health benefits/as treatment for illnesses. The only exception being clearing your sinuses. Some essential oils actually do pretty good work in that regard (at least for me personally... mileage will vary I'm sure).

    tim_to_tourach , Chelsea shapouri Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Seems when people don't have access to affordable health care, they'll try any alternative - no matter how far fetched

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    #30

    The entire working economy is a scam. You bust your ass for half of your waking hours, at least, then get told that your work is worthless and you don't deserve basic needs... even though your rich owners are making millions in profit off of your "worthless" labor?

    NoKenjataimu Report

    J. F.
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I don't pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." - Robert Bosch, sadly something that was forgotten over the last 30 years

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    #31

    The "All natural" market/label. Means nothing.

    jackHadIt Report

    troufaki13
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gluten free. Most people are not gluten intolerant, it's just a fad they need to follow.

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    #32

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Adobe’s subscription based monopoly

    pregnantbaby , Szabo Viktor Report

    beastmachine.
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dude, just search on Google and you'll find so many alternatives. Maybe try watching Linus Tech Tips video on how they made videos without using any Adobe product

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    #33

    College… TEXTBOOKS

    WebbedRose103 Report

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    #34

    non-GMO food GMOs are safe, we have been unknowingly doing this for thousands of years. Now we just have a more reliable,safe and fast way to do it.

    Existing_Lynx_337 Report

    A B C
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This. People need to understand that selective farming, e.g. taking only the seeds of the most productive plants for next year, is selection based on genetic mutations and therefore LITERALLY IS genetic modification, just on a slow term and based on observation rather than design.

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    #35

    Adulthood because kids think it’s great but it’s not

    BirdKibble Report

    hyperunknown
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Adulthood rocks. I'm 43, my other half is 42. 13 years going strong. No kids = no stress, no drama, no school/government/etc hassle, a lot more money, travel when we want, sleep when we want etc. Basically 2 peeps in their 40's still living like we're 18. You get the life you make for yourself by good planning, and not letting the energy stealers, Karens and drama-people in. Again, adulthood is awesome :D

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    #36

    Pretty much anything that says it will enlarge your penis

    jobo633 Report

    #37

    Herbalife

    cb7rulez Report

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    #38

    Getting a phone call about your cars extended warranty.

    TrustedPluto104 Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is just a meme to me. Is it an American thing?

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    #39

    And survey says; Diamonds (but also most jewelry)

    footinmymouth Report

    Nicky
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Agree! Why is wearing a hard rock mined by exploited people in Africa considered an act of love?

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    #40

    Eating/drinking raw eggs. The proteins found in eggs only become useful to your body after the structures are changed by applying heat aka cooking them. There's not only no point choking back a raw egg. You're also absorbing less protein from it than if you were to cook it. "Cooked eggs have a bioavailability of around 91% for protein, while protein from raw eggs only is 50% bioavailable (Evenepoel et al., 1998)."

    https://www.reddit.com/user/BloodintothewildRed/ Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do people actually do this? I've only seen it in like movies from the 80s - but love the citation

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    #41

    Insurance, health insurance in particular. The whole concept is pay into a pool on the off chance that something happens you can get some kind of reimbursement which sounds fair on the whole, but is so often bogged down with unfair terms and conditions that many get screwed over. This on top of predatory policies and greedy salespeople means a whole lot of people get [screwed] over.

    nineball22 Report

    Kari Panda
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That depends heavily on the country and honestly, I think it‘s a major reason why universal health care has such a bad reputation in the USA. I was in a bad car accident two years back and had no trouble at all with neither car nor health insurance, which I am very grateful for because I had enough to worry about at that time.

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    #42

    Tiktok. They now have an event where they pay you $40 if you refer a friend. It’s clearly selling your private information, but people ask their friends to be referred like crazy.

    Karlos-the-Kitten Report

    A B C
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I still don't get why we don't finally start boycotting this chinese surveillance bullshit, but apparently people just don't care.

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    #43

    Realtors, probably the most overpaid, under qualified profession. The commission based comp is crippling for some sellers, and if you try to sell on your own (FSBO), they will steer all their buyers away from you.

    Dad6FMTX Report

    Shelly M
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because FSBOs don't know what they are doing and dont get smoke inspections or final readings.

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    #44

    Having a royal family. It’s bonkers in this day and age that a country as grown up as Britain has a monarch that costs us all money, just for privilege of having her. A literal Queen, wearing a crown, who believes that she was sent by God to sit on a gold throne. And we have to sing a song asking for her longevity at football games. The royal family are a scam, cost us too much money and are currently harbouring a nonce to boot.

    laura_susan Report

    Gin. No tonic
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's image also brings in a lot of tourists, helps sell loads of souvenirs, and overall adds to the economy. It would be interesting to know not just the cost, but also the value of having a royal family. Also it seems that countries with royal families tend to be more stable during crises.

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    #45

    Paying for college in the United States.

    driving_andflying Report

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    #46

    Corporate owned apartment complexes tacking on hundreds of extra dollars in monthly fees on top of rent. Mandatory cable TV packages, parking fees (on a flat surface lot, with no assigned parking), valet trash. All a scam and just a way for them to pocket incremental sales on top of rent.

    letssgooooo Report

    Jjiinnee
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Isn't this only a high-end complex thing, ..for Luxury Apartments and Condos for people who make the top 1% of income? It is in Boston...I know many complexes on the waterfront do, but...who else but a top earner can afford 7k in rent a month, and why would they complain if they could? LOL.

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    #47

    The lottery

    LucyVialli Report

    Chich
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A tax on people who are bad at math.

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    #48

    NFTs. There will be a market for these in some form, but we are hip-deep in the rowdy, scam-filled early days.

    echo6golf Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I will never understand NFTs, no matter how many ways it's explained to me. They make no sense.

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    #49

    People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Chiropractors. "The only way I can help is if you come see me 3 times a week for as long as you live."

    zopea , Toa Heftiba Report

    Valisbourne Spiritforge
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I feel so much better after a visit to the chiropractor (once or twice a year) that I fail to understand the scam. I wanted my back to feel better and it does after I leave, service given, service paid for. Where was the scam?

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    #50

    Fifa games

    Redmage53 Report

    SykesDaMan
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know this post was meant for the video games (I've checked the reddit post) but it could also apply to actual real football (or soccer for US) games.

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    #51

    “We’ll pay the sales tax” ads. It’s not even a 10% discount.

    80sKidCA Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm to European to understand this reference

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    #52

    I've heard Susan G Koman only gives 20% of donations to cancer research. The rest goes to administrative costs and advertising.

    Docrandall Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No idea who she is, but "I've heard" is not a reliable statement

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    #53

    Home Advisor and Angie’s List. Please stop using them. Each time you search for a contractor you generate a “lead” that then goes to a contractor on the network who gets charged a hefty sum for your “lead”, even if you aren’t really serious at all about the project you are looking up. The contractors have to pay for that lead regardless if you talk to them or not. The prices of these leads range between 50-300 dollars. Here’s where it gets REAL f***y. Both of those companies are owned by the same parent company (IAC) and leads generated on Angie’s list are turned around and sold to multiple other contractors on Home Advisor who also get charged for them even if the job for that lead has already been completed. Every single thing about these services is a titanic scam and I cannot fathom how these organizations are allowed to exist.

    Shaunair Report

    Dre Mosley
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just look for local business that have been operating for decades. As soon as someone tells me they or their company are on Angie's List, I tune them out.

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    #54

    Supermarket orchids. They're planted in poor, degrading substrate and need to be repotted asap. But people don't and they die after at most a year, and the cycle continues.

    badmancatcher Report

    A B C
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I call BS. I have a supermarket orchid that I never repotted, I bought it about 3 years ago and it's always been flowering since then. At the moment it has only about 5 flower heads, but it's leafing out new green leaves, so the energy is a little diverted.

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    #55

    The Graduate record examination (GRE). It predicts only socioeconomic class, not success in graduate school. It’s expensive and stressful, and everyone from psychology to engineering take the same math portion, which COMPLETELY f***s the norms. Luckily, thanks to covid closing testing centres its being waived as a requirement for psych programs, and it may never come back.

    Rebuttlah Report

    beastmachine.
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dude tbh, GRE is such a scam especially mathematics. I kid you not an eighth grader from Asia can easily score full marks in it. It's just so easy and nowhere near judging a person's true capabilities for math specifically

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    #56

    All those ads on podcasts. They claim to be a better way to "blank" when in reality they have crazy mark up prices. In my opinion they are middle class traps.

    hsf78 Report

    May
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mostly get ads for other podcasts

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