Have you ever been scammed?

[LeftFI]

Sorry I hope this isn't too off topic, but I think there is an interesting relationship between being an aware consumer/frugality and avoiding scams.

As it happens I work for a charity in the UK and am doing some work on the subject at the moment, so I thought I'd raise the topic with the MMM collective intelligence!

For example, I wonder if some of the discipline of being frugal and avoiding the 'buy me, quick fix' appeal of marketing makes you less susceptible to being scammed (another benefit of mustachianism...) or whether that's just arrogance on my part...

Also, if anyone wants to anonymously share their personal experience of this with a national charity please do PM me!

[UK Dancer]

I haven't personally, despite quite a few attempts. I also work in finance, so I see attempts on a regular basis to defraud the businesses I work for too. I think some of the same qualities that draw me to MMM contribute to me finding it relatively easy to see through fraud attempts - a bit of basic cynicism and unwillingness to trust what "everyone knows" or "everyone else does it" really helps!

[FireSeekerLondon]

Not that I know of!  I tend to be fairly suspicious of of most things so possibly that helps.  But also, I think it is possible I could be scammed, and perhaps this makes it less likely than if I were sure I was too clever to be scammed.  IDK.

[sol]

Many times.  I have bought houses before.  Every time felt like dealing with scam artists.  Agents, mortgage brokers, inspectors, literally everyone in that deal is making money off of you and will bend the deal to suit their own interests.

Also college financial aid offices, health insurance companies who refuse to cover things that are clearly covered in their policies, and medical providers who alter their billing codes, used car salesmen, etc.  Capitalism thrives on abusing customers.

Also a few actual scam artists, when traveling in Africa.  I blame being young and naive.

Here's a hint, any time someone wants to avoid giving you a receipt because they're giving you such a great deal, because you agreed to pay in cash and they don't want their boss to find out how much they're helping you out, alarm bells should sound in your head.  Always get a receipt.

[Playing with Fire UK]

I had an account compromised, but it wasn't related to a scam (again, I think).

[frugledoc]

My father in law is very frugal and got scammed by a guy who was parked at the top of my street selling cheap matresses out of the back of an unmarked van.
The matress was obviously dodgy and had to be taken to the dump.

So maybe frugal people can be caught out by bargain offers for things they need/want

[BookLoverL]

I haven't been scammed as far as I know, but I also haven't really been anywhere to be scammed. It wouldn't be possible to scam me into buying something over the phone or over email because I don't buy random products over the phone or email, I only ever specifically decide what I want and then do my own research into where to buy it.

[InterfaceLeader]

I have been scammed. I used to run my own freelancing web design business. I was contacted by a company that offered to create an advert for me and put it in a magazine. They charged a fee for this. I paid the fee, they sent me the 'advert' (really badly photoshopped logo and slogan) and told me it went into a magazine which I never saw. I figured it was a waste of money and forgot about it... except then they charged me again in three months time. I tried to phone them, but got disconnected every time. I emailed them and it was ignored. I posted a grumpy blog post about how shit this (company) was... and they phoned me up and threatened legal proceedings for slander and that they would get my web host to take all my clients websites offline.

I researched them later, and it appears that they a. did not put the crap ad in any magazine and b. re-charged everyone without telling them and c. threatened anyone that wrote about them online so that if you looked them up you wouldn't find anything about how shit they were.

Thankfully, they are now gone, but I am sure there are other companies out there doing much the same thing.

[sol]

I researched them later, and it appears that they a. did not put the crap ad in any magazine and b. re-charged everyone without telling them and c. threatened anyone that wrote about them online so that if you looked them up you wouldn't find anything about how shit they were.

Thankfully, they are now gone, but I am sure there are other companies out there doing much the same thing.

This sort of scam is someone's FIRE side gig, or maybe their primary FIRE plan if it's profitable enough.  Hooray for capitalism!

[KathrinS]

Yes, unfortunately.. The first time, a huge, noisy ad popped up telling me that my computer had a virus and I needed to call this company. I got really scared and paid them several hundred pounds to fix my computer, before realising they were a scam. Luckily this was on a credit card, so I got all the money back!

The second time wasn't technically a scam, but more just a very misleading website. You could sign up for free video streaming, but in very small writing it said that if you don't cancel your account, you'll pay a whole year's worth of membership up front. I didn't realise this and also, their emails ended up in my SPAM folder, so by the time I saw them, it was too late. The tone of their emails was very rude and threatening, so I'm inclined to think that most of their 'customers' were mislead, like me, and didn't actually want to pay for their service. 

Hopefully I've learned my lesson now!

[Manchester]

Yes, I've been scammed. 

I bought tickets to a concert from someone (as a gift for my SO).  I sent him the money and he never delivered on the tickets.  It wasn't like I sent it to a random person.  It was a friend of a friend, who HAD sold tickets for events to other people I knew.  After I sent the money, it was excuse after excuse, before he eventually blocked me from all means of contacting him.

Unfortunately for him, I knew where he lived/worked!  :')

Never got the tickets though, or the money back.  Just had to buy them again from a tout outside. 

[TartanTallulah]

Yes. A few years ago we realised that my son had never received his NI number, and needed it to open a bank account. I turned to the internet for help and the first link that came up was a plausible-looking website which promised, on receipt of a sum of money (£34, I think) and the provision of some personal details, to locate my son's NI number. It didn't occur to me that clicking a different link would have resulted in me being able to get the information I needed free of charge direct from the government website. It was only a few years later that the financial pages publicised these scam websites.

[Rural]

I fell for the quick change scam as a teenaged cashier.

[vand]

I wish I could say I never have, but in truth I have been a couple of times.

I like to think I've learnt from my experiences and am much wiser and more streetsmart these days.  If something seems too good to be true then it undoubtedly is too good to be true. £40 iPads off the back of lorries, etc etc.