• franzfurdinand@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I have a couple from the hip actually, because America has grifting baked into it’s soul. In no particular order:

    • MMS (Drinkin’ bleach)
    • Crystal healing (most sellers)
    • WitchTok kits (TikTok influencers selling expensive spices)
    • Brain pills
    • Any product peddled by a megachurch (see the Baker bucket for a great example)
    • Chiropractors

    As more of these come to me, I’ll try to expand the list.

    Update: I can’t believe I forgot chiros! They turned themselves into a religion at one point to try to dodge medical licensure laws.

    • Irelephant@lemm.eeOP
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      6 months ago

      I would say that a lot of stuff being peddled through tiktok and Instagram are scams. Those anti-5g dongles come to mind.

      • franzfurdinand@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Anti-5g dongles? That’s new for me, but I consume a lot of these grifts secondhand through a few podcasts I listen to. I might be behind.

        Sounds like the bones of a good scam are there though, assuming the anti-5G conspiracy still gets traction and clicks.

        Edit: Do you know if someone like bigclive got one? He takes those sorts of devices apart a lot to explain them and I’d love to see what’s inside. I just don’t want to pay the money for one to fund the grift.

        • Irelephant@lemm.eeOP
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          6 months ago

          There is a good few videos on them, it has died down significantly since the whole 5g panic went away. Some of them were just some clear USB keys, some were just stickers. Mr. Whosetheboss did a video on them.

    • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      Any product peddled by a megachurch (see the Baker bucket for a great example)

      Some megachurches have sold freeze-dried prepper food. It’s not a grift per se, because it’s perfectly edible freeze dried food, but it’s overpriced for what you’re getting.

      • franzfurdinand@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        You’re right, but I was thinking of the buckets that are basically terrible quality slop that’s borderline inedible.

        I might still call it a grift because they’re asking for payment as “donations” to skirt paying taxes on them. That, and like you said, it’s not a great value for what you get. Maybe not pure snake oil, but there’s definitely still enough dishonesty involved imo that I’d be comfortable calling it a grift.