# What is the ONE word that screams “scam” to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343 "2025-05-13T20:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/61 "2025-05-14T16:33:57Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My word of choice is “free”. Hey, we’re a big profit-oriented corporation, but we’re giving you this stuff for “free” just because we love you. Take it, there’s no strings attached. We love you! Well sometimes it’s “If you buy our overpriced product, you’ll be able to obtain something you would normally have to pay for for free”. There was a device being heavily advertised online a while back that made the claim “This ingenious\* device gives you free cable TV!” (paraphrased, but that’s the gist of it). I Googled the name of the product out of curiosity as to how exactly it get you free cable, and I found a review of it on YouTube. It turns out the device is an antenna! And a pretty basic, crappy antenna at that. The part about getting free cable was a complete lie, as I should have known. \*Hey, that’s a good one for this thread, “ingenious”. That one’s right up there with “weird trick”. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/62 "2025-05-14T16:38:11Z")
For me, it’s my first name in ALL CAPS Dear SAINT Kindly review your invoice for the item you purchased. If you did not purchase the item click on the link below. [Cancellation Notice](https://www.totallynotascam.amazoncancel.net/Phishingpage) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/63 "2025-05-14T16:41:41Z")
Any e-mail that addresses me by my e-mail handle is bound to be a scam or hustle of some kind. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/64 "2025-05-14T16:42:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > For me, it’s my first name in ALL CAPS Or if they address me by my email username rather than my real name, as in “Dear wbeast” rather than “Dear Wilda”. ETA and I see @Jackmannii and I had the same thought simultaneously. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/65 "2025-05-15T14:31:19Z")
“Ivermectin.” I’ve been fighting to good fight on NextDoor battling the cancer quacks. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/66 "2025-05-15T14:51:30Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “cleanse”. Yes, Cleanse my bung hole, cleanse my toe cheese, cleanse my bowels, cleanse my ear wax, cleanse my eyebrow mites, cleanse my skin, cleanse my toilet bowl, cleanse my wallet. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/67 "2025-05-15T14:57:49Z")
Inheritance(“We have your inheritance fund”) Compensation (“We have a compensation fund for all scam victims.”) Countless variations of these. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/68 "2025-05-15T15:01:35Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > But specifically in email, “reply” is the official meaning. Such that for email systems, when you push the “reply” button to reply to an email message, the software automatically puts “Re:” in the front of the subject line. Cite? I’ve always understood it to mean “regarding”, as it does in other correspondence. I always thought this obvious. An email is a reply if it comes from someone you’ve just sent something to. You don’t need an indication that it’s a reply. However, you might well need an indication of what it is regarding. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/69 "2025-05-15T15:11:08Z")
FWIW, this is the response that Copilot gave me when I asked the question: ‘What does ‘Re:’ mean in an email subject line?’ > The ‘Re:’ in an email subject line stands for “regarding” or “in response to.” It’s automatically added when replying to an email, indicating that the message is part of a continuing conversation or thread. So, if you see ‘Re:’ before a subject, it means the email is a reply to a previous message on that topic. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/70 "2025-05-15T15:12:04Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Cite? Cite is that in an email client, “re:” is added to every “reply” when you click the “reply” button. > [@Napier](#): > > An email is a reply if it comes from someone you’ve just sent something to. You don’t need an indication that it’s a reply. Then tell that to people who design the email clients. But if that’s not good enough for you, it’s coded into RFC 2822: [RFC 2822 - Internet Message Format](http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2822.html) And a discussion of it here: [Regarding Re: ; what is the correct usage in an email subject line?](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/2517/regarding-re-what-is-the-correct-usage-in-an-email-subject-line) And reinforcing what I said earlier: > _Re:_ in the subject line of an email means " **reply**" or " **response**". Always. So in this context don’t use it when you mean “regarding”, but when you’re replying to an email. Most email applications will add _Re:_ to the subject automatically for you when you click the Reply button. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/71 "2025-05-15T15:33:45Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > But if that’s not good enough for you, it’s coded into RFC 2822: Well, color me surprised! Thanks! Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/72 "2025-05-15T15:51:19Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Thanks! Ignorance fought. You’re welcome! A confession: I didn’t know about the RFC until I looked it up after you asked for a cite. So, thanks to _you_ for having me do that. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/73 "2025-05-15T16:12:29Z")
Alternative medicine is rich in scam words. Three more: Iridology Reflexology and one I had not heard of until today, [Brainspotting](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/brainspotting-is-classic-pseudoscience/) ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/74 "2025-05-15T16:24:31Z")
If it comes from our current government - “Beautiful” 🙄 ---
**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:** [May 15, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/75 "2025-05-15T16:33:51Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I’ve always understood it to mean “regarding”, as it does in other correspondence. I always thought this obvious. I learned it as as shortened form of the Latin _res_ meaning thing as in “the thing of which this is.” I don’t think that’s correct because why shorten something from 3 letters to 2? ---
**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:** [May 15, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/76 "2025-05-15T17:03:03Z")
That’s how it’s used in the legal phrase “in re” (in the matter of). It’s shortened from three letters to two because “re” (or rē) is the ablative form of “res.” ---
**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:** [May 15, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/77 "2025-05-15T18:27:09Z")
It’s been a few months since I’ve seen one but anything that mentions a **password** without me initiating a password change, [especially if the supposed password is completely different from any that I ever use.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/38) > [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > “Trump” “Musk” ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/78 "2025-05-15T20:12:40Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Note that Re is short for ‘Reply’ I agree with the sentiment, but re is short for “in reference to” or if you prefer “regarding”. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/79 "2025-05-15T20:43:31Z")
The education industry is full of them, but the worst I can think of is “research-based”. They want you to take their words for it rather than evaluate the “research” it’s based upon. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343/80 "2025-05-15T20:56:04Z")
See @ [Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama) response in post #70 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-one-word-that-screams-scam-to-you/1018343.md?page=5)