Every where I look I see lies and deception.

[flightsimmer]

Especially on the internet.
It's gotten so bad that I just don't trust anyone or anything anymore.
I got sucked into a scam on one of the well known firearms review websites but I'm not ready to reveal who they are just yet because I'm hoping they will make it right without litigation but it's looking doubtful. I kept all of the evidence.

Then I got an offer from Walmart which looked as legitimate as any other offer that I have participated in with them and got the receipts and confirmation like any other web purchase. Still waiting.

I'm hearing about AI (artificial intelligence) being used to generate scams that look 100% legitimate throughout the purchase and then POOF.
Being careful doesn't cut it anymore.

I see so many lies and deception on YouTube and everywhere I look especially on line. This could eventually kill a large part of the economy if not stopped.

[JimT]

I like doing business face to face.
I am old enough that all this internet stuff is "recent".
50 years ago I had no problem driving all day to meet up with someone to do a trade. I still don't mind.
It's too bad that people are out to rob others.
I doubt it will get any better anytime soon.

[Bronco]

After being scammed years ago I never accept any offer I get on the internet! I go to the actual web site or call the actual company to verify. To much fake stuff out there. Reloading components coming from an address that google earth shows as an empty field and such!

[COSteve]

Unfortunately, lies and scams have been around way before the interweb. We just see more and more often now. Crooks have always been trying to get your money. Fact of life.

[wvfarrier]

With the ever advancing AI developments, soon nothing will be able to be trusted

[Scott Tschirhart]

I like doing business face to face.
I am old enough that all this internet stuff is "recent".
50 years ago I had no problem driving all day to meet up with someone to do a trade. I still don't mind.
It's too bad that people are out to rob others.
I doubt it will get any better anytime soon.

I totally agree Jim. I’m always cautious when someone wants to sell me something or give me something. Fortunately I really don’t need anything.

[mickbr]

I said here about 5-6 years ago when they started pushing gender choice, if they can get this across the line, common sense and truth will take a walk and they can make up anything. Recent frustration for me is historical groups on facebook now have a lot of AI generated photos. One had a family supposedly in the 1890's on their farm, but 'Pa' was about 9ft tall with a beard all the way to the ground. Hundreds of comments discussing how big folks grew in that region, or that giants existed- good heavens, the guy wasnt remotely human proportions and 1890 is hardly the biblical era. People are dumb, I got tired of commenting they were not real photos and left the group.

[stretch]

One has to perform one's due diligence these days, that's for sure.

We're getting so used to the "easy" way to do things, that we're ripe
for getting scammed.

If I can't talk to a human being if I choose, I tend to not do business
with that entity. There are exceptions, but pretty few. If a company
will only take some weird sort of electronic payment via phone or computer,
I'm out. With a credit card, the bank takes the risk. I also don't have a
debit card. Someone is in my bank account without a check to back it up,
we have a Federal crime in progress. The sole exception is my paycheck
from the State of Maine.

The scammers are getting bolder and bolder. To wit:

https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/01/24 ... -yourself/

(Might be a pay wall here, but you get the gist of things from the headline. Fake company ID, fake lettering on truck,
insistence on payment via gift cards or cash, etc..)

If they try that here, they'll likely be looking down the barrel of something..........

-Stretch

[stretch]

OTOH, I've done business with a couple of people on this forum.

I'd trust any of the long-time posters here on the basis of a private email
that originated here on this forum. Have done in the past.

So, it's not ALL gloom and doom!

-Stretch

[marlinman93]

There are more scams than there are legitimate deals out there these days!! I get probably 6-12 scam emails in my inbox each day, and most of them look very legitimate and are supposedly from real companies. But the first thing I do is look at the sender's address and it's never one that is a real company, just a personal email address. I block them and delete them, but often they come back with yet another new email address and the same scam.
One recent thing I see often is "you won" and they're from places like Home depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight, etc. if you click on the link in those emails to collect your prize you're in big trouble ahead!
If I buy something from a private party I know them, or I'm not sending them any checks or money orders! And one thing you should always do is do a search of the address they want funds sent to and see if it's an empty lot, or just a store front. Often where you think you're sending funds to isn't the place you'll see when doing a street view.