20 of the Biggest Scams of All Time

If a sucker is born every minute, then so is a new scam. In this day and age, information simply travels too fast for any particular con to be effective for very long. We all know not to answer texts from anyone we don’t know, Nigeria isn’t a monarchy and our cars don’t have extended warranties. Like we would shell out for that.

But we do still fall for scams, usually because we don’t realize it. The grift is so embedded in our everyday lives that we simply never question why we have to pay for something we should be getting for free (like water, healthcare and our mother’s love); pay for shoddy products and services (textbooks, chicken wings); or just pay exorbitant fees without getting much in return (payday loans, Scientology).

It was all brought into the light when user BaronsofDundee asked r/AskReddit, “What is the biggest scam in the history of mankind?”