Not even the Middle Kingdom’s mascot is safe from Chinese counterfeit rings. A zoo in China sparked all out panda-monium after they dressed dogs as pandas because they didn’t have the genuine artifact, as seen in viral photos. The fake pandas, unveiled May 1 at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, were actually Chow Chow … Read more
He made her an offer she (almost) couldn’t refuse. A savvy granddaughter saved her grandma from divulging sensitive information to a scammer posing online as Robert De Nero. Gina Morgan, a 76-year-old from South Wales in the United Kingdom, got into a lengthy chit-chat on Facebook with someone posing as the “Godfather Part II” star, … Read more
A customer has vented their fury on social media after paying almost $10 for a popular breakfast item that promised smashed avocado on sourdough — only to be served an avocado spread in a small bowl with a few pieces of regular toast. The alleged smashed avocado swindle happened at the Hervey Bay Boat Club, … Read more
He was a bald-faced liar. Australian porn star Hayley Davies claimed her ex pretended to have cancer so he could cheat on her — and even shaved his head to enhance the deception. “My ex lied about having cancer so he could have a whole other girlfriend and multiple side girlfriends,” she recounted during a … Read more
There are so many true crime offerings dedicated to scams, frauds and con artists that it can be overwhelming. Many of these stories are astonishing and worthy of attention, whether the deceptions are financial, medical, romantic or otherwise. Often most surprising is how relatively painless it seems to lay such traps, and how many people, … Read more
A single mom and micro-influencer has issued an urgent warning about just how “elaborate” scammers have become after she was swindled out of hundreds of dollars from a fake clothing collaboration. Australian fashion student Parker Jane said she “never” thought she would fall for a scam, but the 22-year-old revealed on TikTok she had been … Read more
Why DIY when you can swipe right on a guy? Most NYC singletons feel they have a better chance at winning the 2024 presidential election than they do finding “the one” floating around in the Big Apple’s rotten dating pool. But rather than calling off the search and deleting all the matchmaking apps in defeat, … Read more
A bride who plans to elope is hoping her non-existent guests will go for broke. Posting in a Facebook group called That’s it, I’m Wedding Shaming, a woman reportedly asked members of the group for advice about how to announce their private wedding on April 17 while also requesting that their friends and family — … Read more
They’re robbing the cradle — while it’s still empty. During the nine months it takes to cook their little buns in the oven, most expecting mommies find pleasure in plastering pregnancy announcements, ultrasound pics and baby bump progress photos all over social media. However, the plumb precious pastime — known as sharenting, a portmanteau of … Read more
A debt-stricken single mother to a young autistic daughter was baited by an elaborate online scam involving a phony millionaire lottery winner, South West News Service reported. Dympna McKenna, 47, thought she had been in touch online with a couple who won the EuroMillions lottery in January and wanted to use some of their nearly … Read more
They think she looks too good to be true. Hyperrealistic artificial intelligence fakes have become so prevalent online that “attractive” people are now being mistaken for AI. An Italian model claimed that she’s often accused of being a bot amid the proliferation of AI, which is known for generating flawless representations of people online. “It’s … Read more
There’s a bullseye on baby’s back. Targeting kids is fast becoming all the rage among shady scammers committing identity theft. A recent report from the Federal Trade Commission, the governmental overseers of identity theft, revealed that a staggering 22,229 claims of identity theft from kids in the U.S. under age 19 were filed last year. That’s … Read more
It was a nightmare-bnb experience. A UK family had to cancel their dream Spanish vacation just hours before departure after losing more than $5,000 in an elaborate Airbnb “clone” scam. “I felt devastated for my children and my husband,” Emma Last, 48, told PA Real Life of the holiday hornswoggling. “One [of her children] didn’t … Read more
For as long as we’ve been burying our dead and conceptualizing a future, we’ve been trying to reach them and divine it. From astrology to coffee grounds, and as far back as ancient Mesopotamians reading the entrails of their sacrifices and the Oracle at Delphi huffing fumes and purring prophecy, we have been and remain … Read more
Millions of Americans are forking out thousands of dollars for online courses, pursuing passion projects and acquiring new skills they hope will give them a competitive edge in a tight job market. But with the average course costing $1,400, Sabina Hitchen, the CEO and founder of Press for Success, said you need to make informed … Read more
An elderly widow from Arizona feels “devastated” after losing her entire life savings of $25,000 to telephone scammers last month. Susan Guthrie, 76, was conned by fraudsters who posed as Microsoft employees and talked her into depositing the money into their account, SWNS reports. They convinced her that her computer had been hacked and unless … Read more
Eur-on your own if you fall for this overseas money grab. A savvy travel expert is warning Americans visiting Europe to watch for a credit card currency exchange “scam” that’s marking up purchases across the pond. Brian Kelly, the founder of The Points Guy travel site, said Monday that the con known as “dynamic currency … Read more
She’s making the unknown … known. The Scottish actress who played “The Unknown” in the disastrous “Willy Wonka” experience in Glasgow shed her chrome-painted mask this past weekend to reveal how this role has changed her life. In a three-part TikTok series, the actress, whose name is Felicia, revealed that the role — which propelled … Read more
Incredible undercover video has revealed the inner workings of a “pig butchering” scam operation, where real-life models are recruited to lure unsuspecting victims. Jim Browning, a software engineer and YouTuber from Northern Ireland who makes videos tracking and identifying scammers, worked with an insider who infiltrated a scam operation based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, … Read more
Just like Ja Rule did in the wake of the Fyre Festival, he also felt “hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray.” An actor hired to work at the recent, disastrous Willy Wonka-themed event in Scotland feels his golden ticket was a scam. Paul Connell, who played the part of Wonka at “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” … Read more