• Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    [off topic?]

    Back in the day, a scammer would rush into a store and purchase a $5.00 item and then pay with a $100.00 bill. The owner would check the bill, see it was legit and then make change. The scammer would then say something like “I had to get that item for my uncle’s birthday. Now that I have that out of the way, let me get some things for myself.” They get $90.00 worth of merchandise and pay with cash. Naturally, the cashier assumes they are paying with the change they just got. Nope, the $100.00 was legit, but the rest of the bills are phony.

    • Stamets@lemmy.worldOPM
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      1 month ago

      That is… incredibly clever social manipulation. I hate it but I cannot help but admire it to an extent.

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        In case you’ve never seen it, watch “The Sting” with Robert Redford. When I saw it I was annoyed that I’d seen all the cons before. Then I realized how old the movie was and got that this was the movie all the later ones had ripped off.

      • x00z@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I once walked into a small store to buy cigarettes. The guy at the counter was counting €20 bills. I asked for some cigarettes (€5) and paid with €10. When he gave me my €5 change I was confused because I thought I gave €20. I told him I gave €20 and he looked at me, thought for a moment, and then gave me the €10 and said sorry. I went home, took out the €15 and only then realized what happened.

        Our minds are feeble little things.