Whether we'd like to admit it or not, we fall for scams sometimes. Maybe not we Pandas particularly, but we as a society. According to a report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Feedzai, scammers siphoned away over $1.03 trillion globally in 2024.
Yet not everyone is so easy to scam. Some people know how to play scammers at their own game, and when they put their scammer detective hats on, hilarity often ensues. We love to see scammers getting payback, so, we've collected some of the most creative and funniest conversations of the kind. See them below and rejoice!
We also want Panda to be safe online and know how to protect themselves from scammers. So, we reached out to Jake Moore, the global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, Europe's number one cybersecurity company. He kindly agreed to talk to Bored Panda about the risks of scam-baiting, the most common scam tactics today and offered some practical tips on how to keep scammers away. Read his expert insights below!
#1 Scam Texts. But Scammers Are Such Fun To Mess With At Times
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#2 Currently My Go To Response:
Just found this sub and love it. I got a bit to learn from you guys regarding baiting them in for a bigger sting.
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#3 Got Eeeeem
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If you think only losers fall victim to scams, you probably need to think again. Recent data from Gallup shows that one in three Americans have at least one family member who was scammed in the past year. 8% say they've been victims of financial fraud themselves.
While the numbers aren't that high, scams are still the second-worst crime worry for American households. 57% of respondents told Gallup that they often or occasionally fear getting scammed. The one thing that scares people more than scams is identity theft, as 72% of the respondents worry about it because they believe the ramifications might be worse than any other type of crime.
#4 Got A Message From A Scammer, Decided To Play With Them A Little
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#5 Oops
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#6 First Time Getting A Scam Text. Had Some Fun With This One
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Most of the conversations we've collected here are clever comebacks to scammers, but people also love a good scam-baiting story. Mostly because it's so satisfying to see a swindler get their comeuppance. Usually, scam baiting refers to people wasting a scammer's time and resources so they can't con even more people.
Some people have even turned scam baiting into careers. Like the YouTube channel Scammer Payback, where creator and streamer Pierogi catches scammers and serves them justice, which has over eight million subscribers. Reddit also has dedicated communities where people bait scammers, like r/Scams, r/ScammerPayback, r/scammers, r/scambait, and more.
#7 Tolkiened A Scammer Out Of Existence On Telegram
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#8 So Sad
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#9 My Buddy’s Fb Account Got Stolen And I Already Knew About It. This Was Fun
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While scam baiting might be fun and satisfying to read about, there are many risks associated with it. While digital creators both educate and entertain their audience with their scam-baiting tactics, it can easily backfire for some.
Global cybersecurity advisor at ESET Jake Moore kindly agreed to tell Bored Panda more about why it might be so dangerous. "Scam-baiting can bring personal safety concerns like retaliation, harassment, or even reverse cyberattacks," he says. "Scammers can often know much more about their victims than they let on, so, although it may be tempting, it can be very dangerous to lead them on."
#10 Wanna Date?
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#11 Had To Be Reminded
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#12 Molly Doesn’t Remember The Accident. Poor Girl
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He warns people that in some cases, there might even be legal repercussions. "Although it may seem counterintuitive, there could even be potential legal implications if the scam baiter crosses boundaries such as recording the conversations without proper consent or places any software on the scammers' devices."
#13 Another CEO Gift Card Scam
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#14 Tarot Scammers On Instagram “Feeling My Energy” Just From Reading My Username
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#15 Short And Sweet… They Are Being Tracked In Their Nightmares
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Scammers try to rip people off using many different tactics: advanced fee payments, pretending to be customer service or a government agency, telemarketing, and many more. Yet the most common way scammers get people's money is by sending out phishing emails. "Attackers impersonate trustworthy entities to obtain sensitive information," Moore explains.
#16 This Is How I Deal With These Jerks
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#17 Scammer Text From Today
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#18 After Years Of Texts, I Finally Responded
This person has been texting me this exact message for years. I am not Lile and I do not live at this address. For context, I sent him a photo of the house from Texas Chainsaw M******e.
Image credits: PoundPuppyReject
With new technological advancements, phishing has become increasingly difficult to spot. "Tactics have evolved significantly," Moore notes, "becoming increasingly sophisticated through the use of artificial intelligence, deepfake technologies, and highly targeted personalised approaches designed to appear more credible and convincing."
#19 Well That Escalated Quickly (Common Whatsapp Scam That I Have Been Getting)
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#20 I’m On The Books Guys. I Cannot Wait For My Appointment
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#21 I Tried
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Bored Panda asked the global cybersecurity expert for some recommendations on how to stay safe from scams. "To protect themselves effectively, people need to remain informed about current scams and always verify the sender if something is unexpected or urgent, but especially if the request is for personal or financial information," Moore emphasizes.
#22 Scammers, I Always Have Fun With Them, Do You?
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#23 I Did My Best To Help Them. They Are Not Responding Anymore But Will Update If They Do
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#24 Went With The Plot Of Ozark
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"Using unique passwords, activating two-factor authentication, and limiting the sharing of personal information online can help reduce being caught up in a scam," Moore adds. "Furthermore, keeping antivirus up to date and simply being cautious of unexpected links or attachments will also help people stay safe online."
#25 I’m A Lil New To This
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#26 Got A Scam Text
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#27 I Think I Took It Too Far
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Other experts also say to be wary of clicking on links and new website addresses that may appear identical to the ones you frequent. Don't be like Michael Scott and don't help the son of a deposed Nigerian prince. And while you're at it, don't go on a date with someone who's looking for a healthy non-smoker with both kidneys.
#28 First One How Did I Do?
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#29 I Finally Got One! How Did I Do???
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#30 Another Fake Cam Girl Scammer On Instagram Again, They Really Need A Policy For This Stuff
Image credits: DoodleDaveReddit
Do you have any stories about scammers, Pandas? Even if it didn't end very well, share your story with us in the comments! And if you'd like to see more stories of scammers getting owned, head over here and here. And, remember: update your passwords and stay safe out there!
#31 First Attempt And I Have No Self Control
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#32 A Pleasant Conversation I Had With A Whatsapp Scammer Today
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#33 Laughed A Little Too Hard Messing With This Scammer. Can't Believe He Didn't Want To Go To Our Mother's Funeral
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#34 Bad Scammer, Good Sport
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#35 Who’s Scamming Who
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#36 Had A Little Fun With A Scammer. They Didn't Take It Well
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#37 Got The Ultimate Response I Worked For…
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#38 Rip Kelly
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#39 I Hate When Scammers Don't Do The Smallest Bit Of Research Ahead Of Time
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#40 Nice Try Buckaroo
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#41 Scammers Don't Fall For Scams
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#42 No Response
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#43 I Have Never Been Called This Before
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#44 Never Seen One This Bad
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#45 This Guy Must Be New
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#46 I Played An UNO Reverse
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#47 So A Scammer Texted Me…
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#48 Gotta Scam The Scammers
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#49 “I Think You’re A Psycho Patient”. All Pics I Got From A 1 Second Google Search
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#50 Scam Gone Wrong
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