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Scam-Fu Masters: 15 Slick Schemes That Are Tricking Your Mind

Scams constantly surround us, often unnoticed or underrated. Let's uncover these tricky schemes and boost our defenses against them. A forum user queried, "What normalized scam do we overlook?". Featured are the top responses.

CONVENIENCE FEE

“The convenience fee for paying your balance in a way that is convenient for them and also the only form of payment they allow.”

WEBSITES ASKING FOR EMAIL

“Entering your email before even being able to view the website.”

SHRINKFLATION

“Shrinkflation. An ad for cordial advertised a perfect ratio needing only half cordial & water. They essentially diluted the cordial, selling half for the same price.”

INSURANCE

"Paying for insurance just for companies to find excuses not to refund when trouble strikes."

COLLEGE

“Like, why does college have to be so expensive? It makes no sense.”

BANK OVERDRAFT FEES

“Bank overdraft fees. Financial institutions rake in billions every year by penalizing poor people for not having enough money. It’s shameful.”

RECYCLING

“Recycling, wish I was wrong, but sadly, I am not. A fraction is actually recycled.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

“Thinking social media is free when all of our data is mined and capitalized.”

WARRANTIES

“Warranties. Anything you get insured always breaks after the warranty has already expired.”

TIPPING

"Tipping, a loophole exploited by businesses to underpay staff, leveraging threats of price increase or shutdown to exploit customer empathy."

PAYING TAXES

“Paying taxes on used goods. Some items may get sold 5-10 times, like books, and the government gets taxes EVERY time.”

TRANSACTION FEES

“Fees added to every transaction.”

DIAMONDS

"Diamonds, a marketing scam targeting young newlyweds to seriously overspend on worthless materialism. This 'status' obsession is ingrained in our culture."

NEW CARS

"New cars seem to have more issues than cars from the '90s or later due to planned obsolescence. They also appear more complex, discouraging some mechanics."

CERTIFICATIONS

"Certifications are merely a money racket sold to companies and governments. Passing a test doesn't prove expertise in a field."

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