Scams and frauds are on the rise these days. Some of these modern-day scams have become so common that we don’t even recognize them anymore. A user recently asked on the forum, “What’s a modern-day scam that’s become normalized, and we don’t realize it’s a scam anymore?”
Here are some of the best answers.
EMPLOYERS INSISTING EMPLOYEES NOT TALK ABOUT SALARIES
“Employers insisting that employees not talk about their salaries AND job listings not posting salaries.”
“I know in the US the former is straight up illegal, you can’t do that, and so many people don’t realize this, to the point companies just go ahead and tell you not to and even try to penalize people for doing so, because people don’t realize they can push back on that.”
CREDIT SCORES
“They started in 1989 and are designed to encourage debt.”
“If credit scores are meant to be a measure of how likely I am to pay off a loan in the future, how come every time I pay off a loan, the score goes down? Surely having many loans already paid in full in my history would be the best sign that I’m a safe bet for future lenders? Oh, but my “credit mix” isn’t as good now because that matters somehow.”
HIDDEN FEES IN MEDICAL INDUSTRIES
“Recent legislation called the No Surprises Act attempts to remedy this at least a little bit. Hospitals are now required to post their charges for common services online, among many other things.”
SUBSCRIPTION FOR SOFTWARE
“The fact that you cannot just buy software now. You buy a subscription and never actually own anything.”
“I pay $126/year to access Microsoft Office for the family now. I used to buy one CD, and we’d get three codes to put on our computers, good to go for years.”
CANCELING A GYM MEMBERSHIP
“Try canceling a gym membership. Some want you to prove you’ve moved more than 25 miles away before they’ll cancel you even when your contract is up. And unless you actively cancel the contract when it expires, they’ll automatically renew your contract.”
RESORT FEES AT HOTELS
“I often book rooms in Orlando online; the resort fee always pops up later and is expensive. The $88 room ends up at $120 Every time. Find one for $69, and it’s $120 in the end every time. If it isn’t the resort fee, it’s a 20 parking fee. Or both.”
TRANSACTION FEES FOR ONLINE BANKING
“Transaction fees when using online banking. I do all the work filling out the form so a bank employee doesn’t have to, yet I get charged the same.”
FREE TRIAL AUTO-RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
“Can’t cancel during the first seven days of your trial period. Also, the ones where you cancel during the trial, and it ends the trial immediately.”
EXTENDED WARRANTY
“Make sure you read the fine print about what’s being covered and what is considered void.”
FAKE SALES
“Raise the price of a product a day before they go on sale so that people think they are getting it at a discount.”
PAYING SUBSCRIPTION FOR TECH DEVICES
“Buying tech devices, for premium prices, then still having to pay subscriptions to make them actually do what they’re supposed to do.”
CONVENIENCE FEE
“Well, it’s not convenient; it’s the only option. Can you make it less convenient, and I keep the $5.”
MEDICAL INSURANCE NOT COVERING DENTAL OR VISION
“It’s all connected, guys. If you have a badly abscessed tooth, you’ll likely need medical care, even if you have dental that covers the extraction, root canal, or whatever.”
PRICE OF DIAMONDS
“Diamonds are fascinating. They’re kept artificially scarce by the people who own the diamond mines, and they’ve managed to somehow ensure that there’s no market for reselling them. Diabolical!”
HUSTLE CULTURE
“Working 90 hrs. weeks and having no life outside of work is neither healthy nor sustainable.”
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Anika Jindal
Anika is a CPA and founder of What Anika Says. She shares simple and actionable frugal living, money management and money-saving tips to live a debt-free financially independent life. She has been featured on popular websites like Bankrate, Forbes, Mint ,and Authority Magazine. Byline: MSN