# A 12 outta 10 on the scale of gulliblity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983 "2024-06-17T16:29:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/21 "2024-06-18T03:51:56Z")
I believe it must be mental illness that causes this. In the future someone will see it. There was another one who sold everything she had cause Harrison Ford needed money to come get her. Harrison effing Ford! Needed money. Good grief. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/22 "2024-06-18T04:05:21Z")
CNN just ran an article on this type of scam today - apparently it took in about $4 billion from Americans last year alone. > **[Killed by a scam: A father took his life after losing his savings to criminal...](https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/asia/pig-butchering-scam-southeast-asia-dst-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Dennis was one of countless victims of a massive global criminal operation predominantly run by Chinese gangs who have built a multibillion-dollar scam industry in Southeast Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/23 "2024-06-18T04:20:55Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > It’s hard to have any sympathy for someone _that_ stupid. I can’t assume this is mere stupidity in all cases. Lots of people are very lonely and might grasp at any possibility for meaningful contact. A relative of mine nearly fell for a similar scam, but thankfully balked when they began asking for money. This person isn’t a fool, but is older and not completely savvy about modern technology. Perhaps most important, they lost their spouse recently. Put a few of those factors together, and I’m not surprised these scams work enough to keep people in business. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/24 "2024-06-18T11:49:33Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > These people drive around in cars, have children, and vote. and, even scarier---- they serve on juries. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/25 "2024-06-18T13:31:04Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > I can’t assume this is mere stupidity in all cases. Lots of people are very lonely and might grasp at any possibility for meaningful contact …with Keanu. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/26 "2024-06-18T13:42:48Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Seems about the same level of dissociative mania (my inaccurate term for the difference between one’s ability to live one’s daily life in the world, and one’s willingness to hold at the same time utterly fantastic beliefs because they make you feel good) in a lot of Magats. The difference is most of these scams are being run by imposters. In the maga scam it actually is the real Trump scamming money from his deluded followers. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/27 "2024-06-18T17:11:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In the maga scam it actually is the real Trump scamming money from his deluded followers. I keep getting spam offering a 2024 MAGA hat. I never open them but I assume the only connection to Trump is the “MAGA” and he’ll never see any benefit.There have been MAGA storefronts in the past with nothing to do with Trump nor the RNC. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/28 "2024-06-18T17:23:24Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Did you hear that it was recently decided to remove the word “gullibility” from dictionaries? As long as it’s still written on the ceiling… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/29 "2024-06-18T18:17:25Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Did you hear that it was recently decided to remove the word “gullibility” from dictionaries? Bullshit. It was _never_ in the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/30 "2024-06-19T07:29:24Z")
I still don’t understand how ANYBODY could believe the IRS and US Government needs to collect your federal tax payments via iTunes gift cards. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/31 "2024-06-19T11:01:22Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I still don’t understand how ANYBODY could believe the IRS and US Government needs to collect your federal tax payments via iTunes gift cards. - Have you read any scams? Payment by gift card is the most plausible part. The lead-in stories are utterly insane. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/32 "2024-06-19T12:12:13Z")
We are missing the real important news in this thread. **John Wick 5 is being made!** ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/33 "2024-06-19T12:30:05Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I keep getting spam offering a 2024 MAGA hat. I never open them but I assume the only connection to Trump is the “MAGA” and he’ll never see any benefit. Well, that’s one bright spot. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/34 "2024-06-19T13:49:33Z")
Keanu’s reaction: [![](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5df907d66056aa0008852c0a/master/w_1600,c_limit/the-decade-in-content-sad-keanu.jpg) ](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5df907d66056aa0008852c0a/master/w_1600,c_limit/the-decade-in-content-sad-keanu.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/35 "2024-06-19T14:17:43Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > I can’t assume this is mere stupidity in all cases. I had a friend who used to do “casework” for a member of Congress, and she would routinely hear from victims of scams. Most of them didn’t even realize they were victims when they called – they were contacting the office because the scammers had dropped contact and they wanted assistance reaching out to them through an embassy, or to ask what kind of phone cards they should use to pay the “IRS.” It’s easy to think of these people as stupid, buy many of them were otherwise intelligent, highly successful individuals. What they all had in common was some kind of vulnerability that a scammer could target – they were unhappy in their marriage, they were facing some difficulty in their business or careers, etc. These scammers were experts at detecting and exploiting that vulnerability to fan a sense of desperation that only the scammer could help alleviate. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983/36 "2024-06-19T16:23:01Z")
There’s a difference between those kinds of IRS scams preying on people’s fears and ignorance about how the IRS operates, and someone thinking Keanu Reeves contacted them on Facebook and now they are secretly in a relationship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-12-outta-10-on-the-scale-of-gulliblity/1002983.md?page=1)