What Scams Should Everyone Know About? (r/AskReddit)

▶ Fresh AskReddit Stories: What are some scams everybody should be made aware of? 🔥 2nd channel with exclusive Reddit stories!

[vagabondrepertorytheaterco]

My grandfather had the perfect way to foil the "kidnapped family members" scam:
About two years ago, he got a call from some people in Mexico claiming that his "grand daughter" had been kidnapped, and she would be released if he wired them $ 5, 000. My grandfather asked to speak to his "grand daughter", and they obliged by putting on a woman who was all "Grandpa, help me, please help me!"

My grandfather went "Julia, are you ok hunnie?", and when the woman responded "Yes grandpa, but you need to wire them the money so they'll release me" he was all "Nah, no I don't, I don't have a grand daughter named Julia" and hung up.

[pretzelbunny]

The fake kidnapping scam actually happened to my grandfather. He called my mother crying saying I was in trouble and kidnapped. My mom called me crying asking where I was. I was in my car singing along to my songs. It pains me to think what my grandfather must have been thinking and my mother as well.

[AmusementLabs]

For the Costco one, they are well aware it's too cheap. All those food deals like the $5 chicken, $10 whole pizza or the hotdog are sold at a loss as well as the majority of their stock in the warehouse where they only make a small percentage. Their main source of income is the memberships, that's how they bring you in.

[j-hizzy]

I've gotten a voicemail saying:
"Your social security number has been cancelled and there's a warrant for your arrest" 🙄🤦🏽‍♀️

[ieatemos]

Had one call my job, started out fine but when I denied her she got nasty! Saying I'd lose my job etc. I literally told her "Go for it, I hate it here anyway." She hung up. Lol

[deadnamedan]

For the 'your son/daughter's been kidnapped' bs, that happened to my father in-law in 2018. Some idiots called to say that my husband was kidnapped and he turned and went, "Hey Josh, did you know that you're being held hostage?"

The people were pissed and told him to take it seriously. My husband demanded to have a high ransom. My father in-law bargained to trade him for a pickle. They hung up. And tried again the month week but instead of saying 'son', they said 'daughter'. My sister in-law cursed them out herself -_-

[Bigfoot_With_Internet_Access]

Beware of the people who make fake casts of my footprints

[claymore]

My grandma got a call from her grandson. She responded with “why would you call me instead of your mom? What is your name? They said “it’s your grandson mike” she said “so you are an Air Force jet pilot and you called grandma instead of your mom stop trying to GET YOU OUT” and she was right her grandson mike is an Air Force jet pilot. But my grandma knew damn well no grand child or child would call her if they got arrested. Those scammers just pulled a common name out of their ass and happened to guess a name of her grandchild and my grandma still called them on their BS. I was glad she didn’t fall for it.

[Pineapply_Queen]

My heart dropped when I saw HonorSociety.org listed. I've been a member for longer than I care to admit....

[lelandgaunt]

Still got ID10T’s in my state thinking that social security will call you. I promise the people I saw were not elderly.

[kammybluespakles]

0:15
Lol I get those “honor society” emails all the time but I just knew it was a scam from jump because I have a C average

[dragonfly]

One time my mom got a call saying her daughter (me) had been kidnapped. I was sitting in the room next to her. She asked to speak to me and someone picked up and says “Ella (not my name) what happened.” She then launches into this story about getting pulled away on the way home from school. Then mom beckons to me and says loud enough so they can hear “hey (my name)come talk to my new daughter Ella.” I was laughing cuz she put the convo on speakerphone. “Hi Ella, we’ve never met, but I’m her daughter.”



Click.

[Eyem]

The kidnapping one is stupid. Recently a Chinese college student in Toronto, Canada tried pulling this scam on his own parents back in China. Parents called police, police found him having a good time with his friends @ a restaurant.


So dumb.

[kishere]

My mother-in-law did fall for the "grandson in jail" scam. She's out thousands of dollars and I'm still a little mad at her for not calling us to check and see if it was real. The grandson in question was living with us at the time and was very much in his room playing Xbox when it happened.

[TycoonTitian]

People never realize non-profit only means they spend the same amount that is donated, such as bonuses and new offices/luxuries for office workers

[anniekinsmishkamouse]

Long story short, Social Security called me asking for my number and threatening to cut off my benefits. It was real. I gave SS such a ream out and complained to the Inspector General. All because I never received a letter sent to me eighteen months before. A single letter.

[CrunchActual]

I work for the government. When a government agency phones me at home I chug a beer before answering.

It’s usually my boss or someone my boss reports to.

[rubysapphire]

(Bit of context) my grandmother is a British woman but my grandfather is American so the rest of my family sound American or have very light British accents. Once my grandma got a call from a fake kidnaping scam and when she asked to speak to her “granddaughter” they had a woman doing an obviously fake British accent and also a rugrats voice. Also her youngest granddaughter is 9 and was sitting on the couch.

[gryashno]

A Chinese scammer in Beverly Hills woke me up this morning

[drunkenrobot]

5:56
My mother ran into a variation of this one. She was at an outdoor restaurant in another country when two ladies came up and started asking her directions, and putting their map on her table and everything. Suspecting it was a scam or something, my mother kept her purse in hand the entire time - but they still made off with her phone, which had been covered up by the map on the table.