why are we so obsessed with scammers?

[@imogenx9145]

Problem is most scammers are going for victims who are already vulnerable and not actually dismantling any systems of privilege.

[@VelvetKatOfficial]

Yesss💯 It's disgusting how heartless they are & they keep getting away with it

[@honeyswann]

Exactly , like Elizabeth Holmes was “for the health of those who need it” but scammed them and left them feeling worse.

[@oziku1816]

Especially old people and children

[@blairg8171]

Facts

[@kelsey.is.offline]

this is so true! When i was scammed, i was lucky enough to be living with my parents, so I had a support system after losing my job. But literally every one of my co-workers was under the poverty line and i couldn’t imagine how much it would ruin their lives if they happened to be the victim.

[@AmelieMews]

My father was scammed when I was about 6 years old... to this day we have not recovered from that: He lost everything he had saved up of money to that day; he lost the golf course he was buying with a friend, wiich was his lifelong dream. That scam destroyed my family, we were forced to change countries (only my father stayed in US and I only saw him once again before he died), we never had the economic stability of before -till this day I live with my mom, and i just got fired-, and lost all contact with my paternal family. It's horrible to see how so many people idolize and aspire to be like those people. Scammers can look fun in fantasy and movies, but not in reality; their actions can affect your whole life. PLEASE be careful.

[@tacobell5344]

i’m so sorry that happened to you and your family ❤️

[@user-yl2ef1wn9q]

That's really sad, I hope everything becomes Good!

[@samandsam07]

you deserve better 😭❤ just wait till karma hits them.

[@VelvetKatOfficial]

I wanted to cry reading your story😢 It's definitely not fun in reality. I was scammed at the end of last year & moved back with my parents to start over with getting myself back up

[@niewieder99]

This comment is brutally sad 😖 so sorry this happened.

[@mfuentes4961]

I think people in general are “obsessed” with scammers because they like to watch drama that isn’t happening to themselves.

[@Vickyeverythingelsewastaken]

I absolutely agree. I love watching cryptocurrency drama on Coffeezillas channel half because I'm not involved and half because "told ya" towards cryptobros feels good. That impulse is not rational or ethical, but honestly very satisfying.

[@ihavenothingbettertodowith2358]

Yup kinda like when people say I love drama as long as I’m not in it kinda thing

[@raro344]

@@ihavenothingbettertodowith2358 Granted it can get kinda scary when they get invold like many true crime stories.

[@gabrieller4474]

I think it's because at this point the only way to achieve "the american dream" and make a lot of money is to abuse others, and the only way that seems accessible to the disenfranchised is scamming

[@SkippyLaughlin]

That's what fictional tv is for. Real drama isn't entertaining.

[@imjustdandy9799]

Former Disney CEO confessed to a decade long wage theft conspiracy and said he’d “do it again” His hobby is flipping mansions, of which he owns 13. Real white collar crime is rarely punished at all.

[@FirstnameLastname-zq8oy]

What’s the name of the CEO who did this? Was it Bob Iger?

[@vainpiers]

You don't get extremely rich without wage theft, or exploitation.

[@whatdoyousuppose]

I think you’ve mixed up a few of the details here. I don’t doubt that something like this happened, bc let’s face it rich people are all disgustingly predictable, but I just tried to look this up and couldn’t find any mention of this happening with all of these details. Who was the individual?

[@morningrose1512]

@@FirstnameLastname-zq8oy I feel like it was probably Paul Pressler, though it could be anyone since Michael Eisner tbh

[@imjustdandy9799]

Sorry I did’nt leave out the name on purpose, I’m just bad at typing. It was Bob Iger, it was a wage gouging scheme perpetrated with several other big animation companies. Cartoonbrew cover the story very well for several years.

[@imani0nline]

The fact that people are willing to see fraud as a victimless crime is deeply troubling. To make it even worse when documentaires are made about these people the scammers are glorified and the true victims are never really compensated.

[@omgkthxbi]

I refuse to watch the Anna Delvy netflix series because thats exactly what she wants

[@tacobell5344]

i’ve seen so many people calling anna delvey a girlboss, queen, etc etc 💀 fraud is very much a crime, if she did what she did to other people to you, u wouldn’t be singing the same tune lmao

[@GODSLITTLEMEOWMEOW]

When it comes to watching about scammer I usually watch KZbinrs on it, they can give more information and not dramatize it and actually treat it seriously

[@omgkthxbi]

@@tacobell5344 also her frauds weren't that interesting like she ripped off random not-even-that-rich kids and two hotels. the media treats her like robinhood

[@mossthebryophyter]

This is what I always feel about this and especially crime dramas. I hate how the person doing wrong or the situation is so glamorized/glorified.

[@natalieemerick9913]

the “fleabag era” thing also bothers me so much because did none of these people watch season 2? fleabag is one of the most optimistic female narratives of recent television and it’s centred around fleabag learning to become a better person and build stability and meaning in her life even though she starts the show as a complete mess. interpreting fleabag as just an embrace of cynicism and self-destruction is just not the point of the show.

[@wlammy4ever]

THANK YOU

[@susannahs8533]

You’re right and you should say it!!!

[@Yee-pt5xp]

YES!!!

[@monicaconiglio1804]

Also she never had the urge to get with her sister’s husband… *spoiler* (I think she meant to say her best friend’s boyfriend)

[@jasminelillis5049]

My mom and dad, who were new to America, were scammed out of all their money. We had no money and absolutely no savings during my childhood. My sister and I endured endless nights of verbal abuse and worry all centered on if we could make simple payments. Our lights and water would frequently turn off even into deep winter and the man who stole my dad's money knew both my parents weren't legal citizens, so they wouldn't turn to the cops. This terrible person was so evil that he even bought cars and paid for surgeries with their money. Eventually, this guy died of brain cancer, but with that he also stole my childhood and left an indelible hate I can't relieve myself of. My parents taught my sister and I to not trust anyone, even friends, because of this man. But, if anything, this guy did teach me one thing. Greed kills. It killed him anyway.

[@PoopinRainbows]

This was really wonderfully said and I’m sorry for all that trauma

[@reu2002]

I’m so sorry. May he rot!

[@apriljk6557]

Brain cancer is a terrible way to go 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@tabularasa]

What a terrible story 😔 At least there was some karmic retribution... I hope his illness caused him a lot of pain, after all the pain he put your family through. There are truly evil people in the world, but they are few, compared to how many supportive and compassionate humans there are. I hope you can continue to work on your trust issues. I can relate, my first husband led a double life for 12 years. I filed for divorce once I found out, but 10 years after all that, I'm still severely messed up over it. Having your trust shattered does lasting damage. Wishing you luck 🍀

[@Michali25891]

my mom curses the thieves that steal/Rob/scam the innocent they should be forced to used the money for medicine...like to believe this is my mama's prayer being answered

[@jadefaeriee]

On the subject of portraying “likeable” villain characters in media, the line for me is usually crossed when it’s not a fictional person put in that position. Some sexy villain love interest or edgy assassin protagonist isn’t harmful in the way that spotlighting literal criminals with real victims is.

[@jhardman1876]

I think Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" documentary is pretty great, because it does follow the scammer's story but it also deals a lot with the ramifications, not just the "rich people were mad" which, you know, who gives a crap, but the ramifications for the people who did honestly try to work with it. I found that the part that hit me the most was the ramifications for the people who actually lived on (near?) the island on the Bahamas, who were massively screwed over and yet were kinda forgotten in the aftermath. Would highly recommend a watch if you have an evening

[@TashaxMack]

It was really interesting but so messed up for the people involved especially the locals

[@Pre-Nup]

Agreed. The victim I remember the most is the woman who owned a restaurant or something there, and said that because of the scam, she lost ALL of her savings.

[@EricTD1995]

Internet Historian did it better. Just saying.

[@TheEagleEnigma]

the fleabag era thing is just… so depressing to me. it’s one thing to accept your flaws and let yourself live as less of a slave to expectations. but when you do so with utter selfishness and take awful care of yourself, you’re just setting yourself up for failure and to hurt peole

[@jamiebennett7490]

Sooo true. Especially when the second season of fleabag shows a lot of her growth and that she learns to be a better person despite her flaws, but no one in their “fleabag era” is even open to doing that

[@milo9916]

no hate towards you and i totally agree with your point, but i feel like the “flea bag era” trend or interpretation reads the show wrong. Most of fleabags flaws connect to the effects of loosing her best friend. Not taking relationships seriously to avoid hurt. I may be reading too much into it but the trend is kinda of like “lean into your flaws” and emphasizes consumerism when in fleabags her flaws are from a form of PTSD or mental illness. I don’t think Fleabag chooses to do fleabag era things

[@ghostfrequencies]

@@milo9916 no, you're literally right though. exactly.

[@hermenegildakociubinska6665]

I'm obsessed with the story of Elizabeth Holmes because it reveals how fake the narrative of progress and rationality surrounding the Silicon Valley is. There is this whole idea that the whole system of venture capitalists and startups is driven by meritocracy and promotes the brightest people and the best ideas, while the story of Elizabeth Holmes reveals that it's all driven by marketing and shallow impressions. Theranos didn't scam investors because of some sophisticated forgeries - it was just a matter of a bunch of old guys with more money than reason who had no idea what they were doing, failed to perform their due diligence and refused to listen to people who had any knowledge of the biotech industry.Had they had any common sense and actually demanded enough information about the technology before throwing money at it, nobody would have heard of Elizabeth Holmes.

[@0Rachizzle0]

I love that Cinderella was casually included in the line up of scammers

[@thirstyforlaundrydetergent9664]

I hate scammers. Especially the ones who bask in their fame after getting exposed. They're such disgusting human beings

[@howdyitsren]

on a tangent, Midsommar is one of my favourite movies and i don’t get how people see it as a “good for her” movie. I love Dani as a character because of how fascinating she is. She’s hurt and emotional and unlike the rest of her party doesn’t have a selfish motivation she’s trying to achieve. She’s traumatized and trying to heal but isn’t able to hide how she’s hurt. It’s not “good for her” because she’s so broken down she’s taken in by a cult who celebrate her for the first time in her life. It’s an uneasy catharsis of her finally assigning blame instead of pinning her hurt on herself but knowing the cost of that. She’s not a girl boss, yet is somehow swept into that because I think it’s easier to root for a girlboss than have these complicated feelings towards a complex woman.

[@EricTD1995]

And also the fact that cults are pure evil. Pelle is the manipulator to Dani.

[@ehyzen]

this is what ruined the movie for me when i first watched it. i went to see what other people think about it and the majority thought it had a good ending i was slightly disgusted. watched it again years later and realized its not the movie, its the audience

[@gaby-ux8vo]

absolutely LIVING for the variety in your recent content !!! every topic is unexpected, yet just as immersive and interesting as the last

[@avagrima5636]

So agree with this

[@laurenalyssa5341]

Are people sympathizing with Elizabeth Holmes? After watching the show I dislike her soooo much more. I hate that now her lawyers are pushing the narrative that she was innocent and it was all Sunny.

[@nicoledelrioivoryrose7133]

after the podcast and hulu show i wanted her to go rot in jail. her scam hurt so many people and if she wasn’t stopped on time she could’ve killed so many people. her scam was so dangerous.

[@trulyAmatulHaqq]

My partner is really into murder true crime. I'm into financial true crime. MLMs, financial cults, crypto scammers, I wanna know about it all. I think you got the nail right on the head! I'm also a pretty gullible person so its good to feel like I'm building defenses from people trying to take advantage of that. At the end of the day, living under capitalism is the greatest scam.

[@agathe1646]

Lol

[@anakinxers629]

can you recommend cool financial true crime media to watch? Especially non-fiction? 😍

[@trulyAmatulHaqq]

@@anakinxers629 youtuber Coffeezilla does great work!

[@jjlee8344]

I think people are more interested in scammers because of the immense inequality that we are facing. It is fascinating to see people in rags pretend to be rich and get the benefits as a rich person with absolutely no “climbing up” by working. It really makes us think about what the heck we are doing breaking our backs and our society’s emphasis on “looking rich” instead of being intelligent, philanthropic, rational or even moral.

[@raro344]

It also because it display their charm and charming people are thing we want to see.

[@jankk]

It’s why I am always wary around very charming people. I’ve met too many that use it to hide the fact that they are manipulative, abusive narcissists and/or sociopaths.

[@chelscara]

I have to admit, my interest in true crime definitely began when reading about a murderer that had chosen victims simply by checking who had their front door locked in the night. I was a preteen and it really rattled me. After that I started consuming a lot of media around crime, real or fictional. I don’t live in constant fear, luckily, but I do keep measures I’ve found “important” in the back of my head when in new or unfamiliar situations or around strangers.

[@emericcson123]

I kinda went that way too, but turns out it was a symptom of my generalized anxiety disorder lol. Like if I plan and think about all the scenarios and prepare for the worst, I'll be okay (that's not a healthy coping mechanism btw, my therapist and medication helps me going down that road...most times lol). So I consumed a lot of stories in order to play it in my mind where I end up okay when I was in the worst of my anxiety. Now I have to recognize when I'm starting to go too far and balance it with comedy/feel good stuff instead (lots of Bake Off and Queer Eye lol).

[@35yoglenmckenna31]

Btw you should always lock your doors If not murderers then robbers will let themselves in

[@chelscara]

@@emericcson123 yeah, it’s something I’ve talked to my therapist about. She said there is planning to calm your mind for things you know you are going to do, which is ok and can be healthy coping, and then there’s seeking things to plan for and getting myself worked up, not healthy coping lol

[@alias201]

I got into true crime back in the 90s when I was a kid. Daisy de Melker started it all for me. I'm kind of surprised when people mention true crime blew up, because I always thought it was big.

[@Pre-Nup]

Reminds me of the horror movie The Strangers, who basically break into a house and torment/torture/kill the people who live there. A character asks one of the assailants, "Why are you doing this to us?", and the attacker responds with: "Because you were home".

[@IEnattI]

As a survivor of narcissistic abuse, I like watching these stories for 3 main reasons. 1 - Getting validated by seeing the portrayal of the behavior as obviously bad 2 - Recognizing subtle manipulation and even tiny red flags in the behaviour 3 - Seeing other people survived horrible things and the perpetrator was punished. My favourite one is Dirty John - John Meehan. I really liked inventing Anna for the reason number two, but found it deeeeeeeeply problematic when I read how much they paid her. She essentially got what she wanted. I also really liked the book about Theranos, because it showed how many problems there were and how many possibilities there were to find something earlier and stop it. I did not like Bad Vegan, Tinder Swindler and did not finish watching Tiger king.

[@chihirohel9090]

Sorry that you've gone through narcissistic abuse... Same. I hope you are in the process of healing and overcoming that. I wish you all the best and sending good vibes your way!

[@VelvetKatOfficial]

True story movies about any type of scamming/killing/ oppressing/stalking/assaulting/etc can start the conversation for change or make others aware to avoid such situations. But what irks me is when movies blatantly overdramatize & in a way make the corrupt people look cool. But then again, maybe if the movies weren't like that for people to obsess over, they wouldn't spread the awareness? Some corrupt people shouldn't even get a movie made of them, though. It doesn't contribute anything that helps humanity. Filmmakers just do it, because they know it'll be a hit that makes them bank

[@texaspoontappa2088]

I feel like every movie about Ted Bundy especially makes him look like he was charismatic, charming, handsome, and cool, when he was probably just a white man so people let him get away with things for much longer.

[@VelvetKatOfficial]

@@texaspoontappa2088 even though I didn't watch any of his stuff, what you said is totally the vibe I got from it & I did hear some commenters that watched it say that

[@grinchlovesxmas]

I’m not sure if I will agree with this lol. Art doesn’t always for humanity, Art sometimes is just Art (you may have heard it through the concept of L'art pour l'art - Art for art’s sake). It doesn’t serve any awareness or educational purposes. Sometimes the topic can be really disturbing (ex: Lolita or The picture of Dorian Gray). Filmmakers do it because they find the topic intriguing and it inspires them. I do not say that this is right or wrong. I just want to point out that their purposes at the beginning aren’t about raising awareness. It’s all about perspective and point of view. Though I agree that viewers are usually romanticizing crimes through this type of movies.

[@VelvetKatOfficial]

@@grinchlovesxmas I agree with what you're saying:) Definitely perspective & point of view is different for everyone. Like how these types of films aren't my cup a' tea. & makes sense what you said that they don't intend to raise awareness

[@allis_o2628]

"Worst roomate ever" is a really good documentary series on netflix about people being stuck with squatters and scammers, and one I'm really glad I didn't see until after I stopped living with roomates XD

[@helenauambembe9700]

I just finished it. Crazy

[@blah12345678910blah]

I find scammer stories interesting because I want to know how those people "fell" for these scams and what made then believe the scammer.

[@evanfelch7689]

I really recommend Knowing Better's stuff on cults, scams, and MLM's

[@adapienkowska2605]

I don't think you can be safe from scammers. Most of the time, they exploit your weakness when you are in a very valuable position.

[@haleymist09]

My father lives with me (he's 80yo) and the constant ph calls, texts, emails, and junk mail from scammers is DISGUSTING. I do my best to thrwart them but I'm now triggered when his phone dings or I hear him talking on the phone.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Weird, the more I learn about scammers or simply watch something about them, the more I really don't like them or have any admiration for them.

[@jamiebabie]

Same. I don’t find these people inspirational whatsoever.. I just find the stories interesting.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

@@jamiebabie same. It’s like when I say “ I don’t want drama” but just need all the details.

[@LilacMoons]

Yes this exactly! I mostly watch it to see if the victims got some closure and maybe even retribution and how they even managed to get people to believe in them in the first place… but I never leave with any admiration for the scammers, just disbelief that people can be this vile.

[@lenamarie8348]

Fun fact! The boys who were in buzzfeed unsolved made their own KZbin account (@ The Watcher) and made a video on that Marie Antoinette necklace scam!! Full circle Mina!

[@madelineo4128]

Yes I thought of this too!

[@alejajm1666]

OMG they did? I love puppet history

[@annabellebernard3609]

This is one of the first videos to actually give credence to Rachel’s point of view! It’s funny, reading Rachel’s essay was my first introduction to Anna Delvey. I’ve been surprised at how many people changed their mind about Rachel when her essay became a book. Shonda Rimes series really paints Rachel in a weird light, like she should be held accountable because no one forced her by gunpoint to put her card down. It’s very strange, I felt like as a viewer I was supposed to believe they because there wasn’t a gun to her head that she had a choice putting $60k on a credit card? That final court room scene in the series was so weird for that! Thank you for speaking on it!

[@LikeTheProphet]

I want to cite this particularly relevant quote from Sit Terry Prachett’s Going Postal - the story of a con artist who thinks himself noble. This is an interaction he has with his parole officer, who happens to be a golem: “You can't just go around killing people!" "Why Not? You Do." The golem lowered his arm. "What?" He snapped. "I do not! Who told you that?" "I Worked It Out. You Have Killed Two Point Three Three Eight People," said the golem calmly. "I have never laid a finger on anyone in my life, Mr Pump. I may be-- all the things you know I am, but I am not a killer! I have never so much as drawn a sword!" "No, You Have Not. But You Have Stolen, Embezzled, Defrauded And Swindled Without Discrimination, Mr Lipvig. You Have Ruined Businesses And Destroyed Jobs. When Banks Fail, It Is Seldom Bankers Who Starve. Your Actions Have Taken Money From Those Who Had Little Enough To Begin With. In A Myriad Small Ways You Have Hastened The Deaths Of Many. You Do Not Know Them. You Did Not See Them Bleed. But You Snatched Bread From Their Mouths And Tore Clothes From Their Backs. For Sport, Mr Lipvig. For Sport. For The Joy Of The Game.”

[@wumologia]

I'm so glad that someone has finally used this citation here. Scammers are repulsive people.

[@PopcornEmma]

Personally I only find scam content fun if they’re scamming rich people. It’s too upsetting otherwise.

[@vs-ej1qc]

indeed! i really enjoy con artist media since the targets are always rich and often bad people

[@kg395]

watching rich people get scammed or those heist movies is honestly so entertaining for me

[@shush9687]

exactly!! it's really heartbreaking if it happened to normal people because you can feel how hopeless and terrified they are.

[@johnwalker1058]

or if the scam targeted a corrupt company that scammed or exploited other people

[@raro344]

Scamming IS upsetting, period, he just want to not feel guilty about it.

[@ibabylei]

In Anna Delvey/Sorokin’s case, yes, she was paid $300k for her story, however, she didn’t take that money due to the Son of Sam law, which prohibits criminals from profiting off of their crimes. That money netflix paid was used to pay off her debt and lawyer.

[@mayarieb]

I feel the obsession over scammers is indicative of an increasingly grey area for what kind of behavior is allowed/tolerated in order to "make it." We all know America values money and status above all else, it doesn't really matter how you made it. (Kennedys, anyone?) Dramatizing a scammer's rise to the top is problematic because there will always be people who see them as heroes and take the story at face value - e.g. all the dudes who just thought Wolf of Wall Street was cool/badass - and miss the wider point these films or series are trying to make.

[@Ashandonyx]

This.

[@ellenevolyn_]

Yup!

[@juicyparsons]

I think we're all fascinated by the psychology of people who are pushy, manipulative, deceptive, greedy, etc. We have these people in our lives causing chaos and sometimes looking at in on a bigger scale helps us to navigate those smaller behaviors in our own lives

[@desertrose0027]

I watched Inventing Anna and I was baffled at how sympathetic she got portrayed in the end. She manipulated her lawyer and the journalist into providing her with new clothes for her trial, for one thing. I'm not sure how true that is, but the loyalty shown is crazy to me. Anna Delvey is a complete narcissist who wouldn't hesitate to throw either of those people under the bus without a shred of remorse and both of them knew this about her. And yet they were willing to risk their families and professional reputation (sometimes multiple times) to help this woman. It's crazy to me. I do admit to enjoying shows like this on occasion, but I'm not under any illusions that scammers are good people to be idolized. I can enjoy them from an anti-hero perspective, but still want them to get justice in the end. Most scammers only care about themselves and are more than willing to hurt and steal from innocent people along the way. I often also watch scam baiters on KZbin, who help fight against the scammers who cold call elderly people in an attempt to scam them out of their money. Many people have lost their entire retirement savings to these people, so this is not a victimless crime.

[@Hannahgs]

Same! That scene after she is convicted where the lawyer and the reporter are like crying because she is actually going to jail…I was like…we’re talking about Anna Delvey, right? She’s not a good person lol

[@desertrose0027]

@@Hannahgs Exactly!

[@hoseki9860]

I enjoyed watching it, but quickly realised people on social media were actually idolising her and somehow demonising the friend she scammed out of all her money...? It makes no sense to me

[@desertrose0027]

@@hoseki9860 I agree. Just because she scammed wealthy people doesn't mean she wouldn't screw over her less wealthy friends as well. She only cares about herself.

[@Hannahgs]

@@hoseki9860 that was one of the worst parts of the show, when they made the poor woman that was basically coerced into paying the bills into the bad guy for some reason. It gave off really bad girl boss vibes in the end. Me and my mom watched the series together and we were both like “Anna is not a good person to anyone she has met why are we rooting for her now??”

[@marieborremans9412]

A movie recommendation in this genre: I CARE A LOT. I like it because the scammer, played by Rosamund Pike, has admirable 'girl boss' traits but without glorification. I hate her more in this movie than in Gone girl, lol.

[@danad3838]

Definetly! Her character made my blood boil, I was even mad because they had me believing she would get away with her actions. Good movie, good acting and camera work was quite good too.

[@expressyouropinion9527]

Agreed! Just watched it and loved the movie and made a video about it too, because I loved it so much!

[@jankk]

I have heard that movie is good. I can’t watch it, because my family was destroyed by a scammer social worker who was actually a county government official instead of an independent legal guardian. There’s a 2017 article in the New Yorker called How The Elderly Lose Their Rights that made me want to vomit when I read it, because it was like reading what happened to my own family 10 years earlier almost verbatim. I hate the person who did it to us IRL, too, and sometimes wish I believed in hell, because they could go through the trials of Job x100 and it still wouldn’t be enough to make up for the harm they caused us. And who knows exactly how many families this sociopath actually tore apart?

[@marieborremans9412]

@@jankk I'm so sorry to read this. The movie is good because it brings awareness to a systematic issue and shines a light on the more vulnerable in society. If you have actually lived through it there is no need to watch it and make yourself relive trauma. Plenty of other movies to enjoy. Sending you and your family lots of love and healing

[@flowersinantarctica8]

when i was little i convinced my 4th grade private school class i was descended from spanish royalty because i was so ashamed my grandfather was illegal and just hopped on a boat. we did a field trip to ellis island and everyone either found their ancestors or had came over on the mayflower. i was so embarrased. but they did think i was a princess for quite some time.

[@chidivids2005]

The 'scammer' culture is so prevalent in Nigeria, it has rewritten its economic sector, negatively affected its justice system and brought the topic of education into question for most of its lower class. It's honestly scary yet fascinating

[@Boggythefroggy]

I just recently got badly scammed from someone seeking mutual aid and hearing that last part you said really helped - that it’s not a character flaw to be willing to trust people, just that people will take advantage of you if you’re not careful. Also it’s really weird that i had this happen to me and I keep seeing scam related videos all over KZbin..I think the universe is laughing at me lmao.

[@mercedeztrevino133]

My grandma was scammed a couple years back for 2,000 she was 72 at the time and had no idea what the internet was about so she was an easy target. She never fully recovered from that scam and almost lost her property.

[@BenShapirosGyno]

My 76 year old grandma lost about 20,000 dollars from scammers. They called her and she said it “sounded like her grandson jacob”. They must have found out who her grandkids were through her Facebook. They seen she cared a lot and posted about us a lot. They called her and acted like him and said “hey grandma it’s Jacob. (He’s the oldest grandkid out of 6 of us) I got a DUI. I really need “x” amount of money to not go to jail right now. Can you please send me the money to pay for it. And by the way I’m really embarrassed about it so can you please keep it a secret from the rest of the family”. My poor grandma… at least she is well off… my immediate family and most of us around here would never have that kind of money let alone recover. Sooooo thank god for that but it’s still the fact that scammers scammed a 76 year old out of ALOT of her money. I can’t imagine how many others they have gotten the same way.

[@madeleine2631]

My grandma receives those calls as well. It's disgusting.

[@danad3838]

I feel like at this point there should be some type of classes for the eldery to learn about scammer techniques and how to avoid them because they're the easiest and most exploited targets.

[@nana8135]

I'm sorry for your grandma I hope she lived/living a great life now

[@Samantha-hl8lq]

I LOVE Fleabag, but how can anybody who's seen the show glamourise their 'Fleabag era'? Fleabag is a relatable, fucked up mess but she acutally suffers from the consequences of her actions all the time. Her state of being is not a desirable one and the show is very clear about it.

[@MissieK]

Because they do not understand the situations of fleabag. Fleabag was a mess due to her actions but she was there for her people even the ones she didn't love. Thinking that it is cool to leave everyone hanging and be a mess on purpose means that you didn't understand the series. Also the entire 'born with pain build it' and making it personal. The entire monologue said how all women are born like this and talked about it, yet the trend is 'oh I am depressed because I was born with pain build in' like come on how can this go over your head?

[@moonlightbae333]

Sometimes in life you are in not desirable states of being and its nice to relate to a fictional character going through similar experiences

[@guerdynerodriguez2845]

That’s why I hated inventing Anna. In general I actually liked the show but I hated how it portrayed her and sympathized w her. Shonda Rhimes has an obsession w making ww look good in her shows when they do bad things. Listen I don’t feel bad for rich ppl at all but I think it’s a dangerous slope to fall through romanticizing especially considering like you said which I feel like no has mentioned , her skin color allowed her to continue the charade for a long time something like me and you both women of color would not be able to get away w easy so I have zero empathy for Anna. W Elizabeth I LOVED the dropout . I thought it was so good and it was pretty much all accurate. I felt like that show showed her desire to be on top but also show all of the background characters and how horrible this scam ruined their lives and I think that is what is very important to show .

[@LeapThroughTheSky]

That part! Every time they whined about how she was just a woman trying to make it, I kept thinking how she would've immediately been kicked out of spaces or questioned for the same behavior if she was a woman of color. Or even a man of color. Like her boyfriend who they painted as an asshole (not saying he wasn't), but had a more interesting back story and was being questioned by wealthy people and seen as the bully taking advantage of her? Despite the fact he always paid for shit? But somehow he was the leech to them? I kept thinking it couldn't be a coincidence that they didn't trust the man of color, but ate up the vulnerable white woman narrative. I also hated how they threw Rachel under the bus and made her out to be annoying. Like the one woman who wasn't rich and they assassinated her character to make Anna look better for taking advantage of an average person. And her one friend who ended up as a consultant for the show who doesn't care because she never did it to her...that felt weird hyping that girl up too. I'm definitely going to check out The Dropout now! Sounds good.

[@grinchlovesxmas]

the show pretty much represents how the american are obsessed with the “european” ideas i guess

[@stepahead5944]

@@grinchlovesxmas What do you mean?

[@grinchlovesxmas]

@@stepahead5944 have you watched the show?

[@phoebesekine4783]

@@grinchlovesxmas i have (partly), but im not sure what you mean by that. Could you explain?

[@tannerth0mps0n]

You should definitely go into detail on what kind of garments scammers wear to manipulate their victims. Example, Elizabeth Holmes with her black turtlenecks and extremely vivid and vibrant red and black makeup. To sorta simulate Steve Jobs and to appeal to the male gaze. Idk if that makes sense, but still.

[@joaopedrosg1993]

I think it's very interesting and important that you brought this discussion to your channel. Lately I've been confused by this obsession with scammers and how people relativize their crimes to the detriment of spectacle. I recently saw an interview with Amanda Seyfried saying that she would probably want to be friends with Elizabeth Holmes because she now understood her so well. This left me absolutely baffled! Seems like people are really losing their common sense.

[@OpqHMg]

Wtf ...didn't realize that people were starting to sympathize with these as*holes on such a level. That's so disappointing

[@eraldepics2410]

Scammers don't all target rich victims, they usually target those who are in an unstable position, especially immigrants, being in a new country, new currency, different government system and a lack of knowledge about how to survive makes immigrants an easy target for scammers. It costed a lot for my family, we've been able to recover but our credit score is low making it hard to obtain cars or get a house.

[@juliab1407]

Honestly Inventing Anna just made me hate her. She felt like a deliusional brat who doesn`t care about anyone and was simply annoying. She just didn`t represent anything I strive for. I have to say though I loved to hate her Love your videos Mina :)

[@texaspoontappa2088]

She really is a brat. I stalked her instagram a few times after watching the show and she had this series of stories where she claimed Rachel Deloache Williams was using her for attention. It was all very petty

[@adair5432]

I was angry about how the show made every major character - the defense attorney, the journalist, the friends she scammed except Rachel - keep rooting for anna and sympathizing with her although she refused to take any responsibility or accountability. That show made me angry because the show was explicitly taking Anna's side more than other scammer shows.

[@ishani1274]

Yes! I just don't get the people defending her for 'sticking it' to rich people!?!?!?

[@holigatis7588]

@@texaspoontappa2088 I don't understand the people who use that argument. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Ana was literally the one who offer to pay for everyone's trips and dinners. Who does that equate to Rachel using her? 🤦🏻‍♀️ I do t think Rachel should've sue after the American Express charge was settle but that doesnt take away from Ana being an entitled mean brat!

[@eurekamreum5458]

When I finished watching the series, my mom told me she had seen online that it was glamorizing Anna's character, to which I replied "well, I wouldn't trust anyone who actually roots for her after seeing her being so ridiculously annoying, selfish and an overall lying brat, which to me was pretty clear since the very beginning". Even that friend of hers who was so obsessed with her, said she was a very rude person but still wanted to be her friend! That's just lunacy and tells me everything I need to know about people in those circles.

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

"good for her" is somehow both a satirical and semi- earnest response to girl- scammers. It feels as if they're attempting to balance the societal disbalance between men and women, but a scam girl's response to this imbalance isn't societal change its worming her way to the top. So, good for her for almost succeeding, but distinctly bad for her for doing it the way she did.

[@inkompetenzkompensationsko4188]

I could imagine we're obsessed with scammers because they basically personify the instant gratification we all love so much about technology. They don't work their ass off in college to invent something groundbreaking, they aren't born into some insanely rich family, they basically just faked it till they made it and took it to an extreme. I think this sounds a) more attainable compared to hitting the genetic lotery, studying like crazy for ages (and being blessed by the smarts and good grades in result of that what might enable one to try into Academia, not succeed, just try) or what else might could give a "regular person" a tiny chance of living a jet set, shopping and being admired for breathing- Type of life. Its easier to get out of bed and "just defraud someone" than trying to work at achiving that by work; If it is even something one can achieve it by working (heritage can't be fixed by work i.e.). b) its sounds like some type of Disney Production and c) it sounds like an instant fix, refering back to the instant gratification.

[@alexterieur8813]

Interesting take away. There is definitely an aspect of envy in this kind of obsession.

[@whattamess]

video idea: the evolution of fashion in coachella. idk man i just got so surprised seeing the looks of coachella today when i remember it used to be a boho aesthetic and im so curious as to why 👀

[@jankk]

Because what is considered fashionable/stylish, even among subcultures, continually changes?

[@Alexgrl99]

My parents are French so trust me I feel you with the accent struggle lol! You had livre right with that slight “uh” sound at the end! Jeanne would be pronounced like “Jahn” like a long drawn out A

[@M3ynna]

No "uh" at the end of "livres" though, the last syllable is silent, like so : livʁ in phonetics (IPA).

[@carolinelovescookies971]

Side note to this amazing video: as a German, it's pronounced something like "sha-duhn-freu-duh" but our language is hard so I get the mishap. Loved the video still!

[@yessica5231]

me: 🦃 mina: "hello my doves" me: 🕊

[@dunnejos8423]

I don't know if that's true about Elizabeth Holmes trying to get the most by doing the least. I think she was high on herself and really believed in her own scam... Until it blew up on her and she realized her Edison devices didn't work and backpedaled to being an actual scam. She was putting in a shit ton of effort, but not into any of the right things. Like she was going hard on interviews, articles, she was able to get plenty of investors. But she wasn't a scientist, and didn't care when scientists told her that her idea wouldn't work. She just branded everyone who told her her idea wouldn't work as haters and surrounded herself with yes-people.

[@imbobby3566]

And honestly she did what a lot of successful/celebrities/riche people are advising us to do. (Like being surrounded by people with the same state of mind, etc)

[@dunnejos8423]

@@imbobby3566 I mean... Yeah okay but that's not good advice when the type of machine you're trying to make isn't physically possible, as she was told by numerous experts in medtech. At that point it's just arrogance.... Or obsession, either of the two

[@xtinkerbellax3]

@@imbobby3566 oof all of those successful/rich people who give advice on how to be rich are also just scammers.

[@imbobby3566]

@@dunnejos8423 I agree, but I think that we are always told by people "who made it" or by self help books, etc. that if we are sensing it's good, if our intuition is tingling about something, blabla then we shouldn't listen to "haters" and people like that. So i guess if she was in this mindset she could have thought that the scientists telling her it was impossible were just lying, were negative and not open minded enough.

[@dunnejos8423]

@@imbobby3566 ohhh I see what you're saying now, yeah yeah. I thought you were agreeing with the manifestation, boss babe mentality which I think is so unhealthy and that's why I disagreed initially. But yeah, I think it's great to surround yourself with people in your professional setting who are willing and able to keep you in check... And listen to people who actually know what they're talking about. Do I think she was lazy? No. Do I think she was a bit of a megalomaniac putting in way too much effort into a project she refused to understand wouldn't work? Absolutely.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

4:56 I remember this story. I think they did a movie but not accurate at all. Also, the blame for diamond necklace scandal was placed on Marie Antoinette. I think everyone involved didn't get anything in the Long Run.

[@desertrose0027]

The situation was called the Affair of the Necklace and you're right in that the Queen took most of the blame for it, even though she wasn't directly involved. It was one more thing that led people to hate the Queen and push for the French Revolution.

[@anska7475]

I had to smile, because even before you mentioned it, I thought about how Brothers Grimm‘s fairytale book is full of scam stories or stories in which the hero eventually succeeds through cunning or trickery. „The Valiant little Tailor“ would make an awesome con movie. They also generally are scam stories in which the target is either evil personified (you may always cheat the devil in a fairytale), equally scamming or things don’t turn out too bad for everyone in the end. So pretty much the same as in a modern con story - just replace the devil with a big cooperation. Only, while this set-up works great in a simple fantasy story, its black and white moral seems naive in a more „realistic“ setting. We might not like the big cooperation, but it‘s usually not the unlikeable management suffering the loss but someone on a far more relatable level.

[@RadioactiveMoth]

I've recently come to find most true crime content to be bad and unethical as they dramatize real peoples' tragedies for profit, rather than being unbiased fact resources. I stick to fictional crime as a result.

[@princessbabe1313]

Same! It feels exploitive

[@jillianj1016]

Exactly! When I was a teenager my grandmother was murdered in a home invasion. It was devastating and the thought of people turning it into entertainment makes me want to hurl.

[@princessbabe1313]

@@jillianj1016 not just entertainment but entertainment FOR PROFIT. I'd hate for some girl on KZbin to talk about my grandma who was murdered while she does her makeup and slaps ads on the video

[@itsirkeel]

I'm halfway through and am reminded why I love your channel and even though we have a generational difference, you speak to me! Love the bob. Love your research, your insights, and your coherent articulation on how effed up our culture is. Your hair really is adorable. And I'm truly grateful for your presence as an independent researcher and continuing to live in a world based more in reality than that of the influencer world. I'm GenX and don't spend time in Influencer world, but boy do I see the impact all over the place.

[@kc3856]

When you talk about how you want more fiction movies rather than the negative heavy real life stuff reminded me about the movie genre called kinder camp (moderngurlz made a vid abt it!) and I think society needs to heal and we need cheesy bad early 2000s fiction movies again

[@pocketfullofbugs]

Felt awful this morning but hearing you refer to us as “my beautiful doves” made my heart feel lighter. Thank you. Love your vids Mina! ♥️

[@clxv]

About the scam regarding Marie Antoinette and the necklace, I finished watching *"The Rose Of Versailles"* a couple of days ago and that story line was my favorite part! What a great show... I would die way Happier if Mina ever did a video about it

[@mintjaan]

It's definitely one my favorite arcs of Rose of Versailles, although I know a lot of people dropped off of the series during the Du Barry arc.

[@clxv]

@@mintjaan why??? Things just get better and better

[@araline2905]

Oh yes. That is a series that was influential and deserves all the attention ot can get.

[@noodle_witch]

I must admit that I did felt very sad when she said that the frase “we are the daughters of the witches you didn’t burn” is “memeable and cringie” because in Mexico we use that frase in all the manifestations we do against womens violence and it’s very important for us, I know she’s not from Mexico and she probably doesn’t even know what it’s going on but it’s still a little sad to hear someone you admire talk like that about something so important for you idk, I know she probably didn’t meant it in that way, but in case anyone reads this just understand that some frases have different connotations in different countries, I love Mina and all of her videos so please don’t take this as hate

[@areliharo6354]

Aquí en México he visto que también se burlan de esa frase

[@noodle_witch]

pues si, en general es como pensar que se pueda burlar de algo que es importante para mucha gente, no digo que todos en mexico pero para muchas si es importante

[@areliharo6354]

@@noodle_witch igual depende mucho quien la use , porque luego si da cringe que mujeres blancas digan que son las hijas de brujas cuando sus abuelitas eran unas blancas racistas que despreciaban las tradiciones de mujeres indígenas por ser "brujería" o del diablo gggg igual no tiene nada de malo en si pero entiendo porque a muchos les parece molesto

[@thebusybeanhomecafe4035]

It's not a Mexican thing, it's been used everywhere and it's overuse is part of what makes it cringey

[@noodle_witch]

@@thebusybeanhomecafe4035 I don’t know about the rest of the world, i’m talking about my perspective as a Mexican Feminist, here in Mexico it’s used in manifestations and by many feminist collectives that take the meaning very seriously, it’s okay I guess if other people don’t see it that way but we do, things have different meanings in different parts of the world, that’s why hearing someone you admire talking like that about something so important for you and a big part of your community it’s a little sad, as I said I don’t think she did it with bad intentions, but if you rather to keep joking about something that now you know it’s important for a whole community I guess that’s on you, and i’m not talking about Mina because she’s not ever reading this so yeah. ✌🏻

[@isabelledeambrosio7244]

mina gives big sister vibes in the best possible way

[@SkwithOv]

i watch a lot of anti MLM (multi level marketing, not men loving men) content because it's educational and helps debunk what huns (people in an MLM) say and their tactics (it's a cult) and it helps to prevent people joining and it can sometimes help people to leave it makes me sad to see both people taken advantage of and the people at the top manipulating and taking advantage of and scamming everyone below them

[@anaannna1594]

"Catch me if you can" is my favorite swindler story. I think there is also an underdog aspect to swindler stories, like wow that could be me if I were more eloquent and voluble. Also a curiosity about the perpetrators audacity is really alluring. Swindling is like a classy version of shoplifting and doesn't hold much appeal to me.. great video as always! 😘

[@phosphenevision]

Catch me if you can was found to be a bunch of lies eventually though

[@raro344]

It is intersting because the guy actually said he dislike how the movie sympathize too much with him.

[@emilyrln]

I highly recommend the 1962 film of _The Music Man_ - it's the story of a traveling salesman who sells marching bands (uniforms, instruments, the works) without knowing one note from another. It's one of my favorite musicals! _Sneakers_ is a fun heist story I haven't seen in a while but remember very fondly. Also your hair is super cute!

[@theartistmusician9627]

I feel like scammers that get away with stealing from people the same as people treating nice people like shit and they get rewarded for it. Everyone do better, don't support bad behaviour, regardless of who it is.

[@highly.katheinated]

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on the unsettling trend of invasive biopics being made these days! The Girl from Plainville and Pam + Tommy come to mind as pieces of media that maybe should've taken inspiration from real life instead of recreating it

[@lisal.5450]

I liked The Tinder Swindler because it focuses on the victims perspective and does not put the scammer in a positive light, even though it is shown that he himself comes from difficult circumstances. Otherwise I‘m not a fan of true crime, I often feel this genre exploits victims and retraumatizes them and their families for economic gain.

[@lamcb.9476]

I think it’s the whole “work smarter not harder” approach and the seemingly “easy money” accepts of scams that make it so appealing to people. It’s so dangerous to see young teens aspiring to be like these rich adults and then to more dubious and dangerous ways of getting “quick money” and being pulled into running drugs and other criminal offenses. Also I feel like scam artists radiate that charisma and intelligence that we find so appealing about people that we see these stories as so interesting and inspiring

[@katelynbun7320]

Honestly the biggest issue I have with putting Midsommar in the "good for her" genre is she like joined a neo-nazi cult. That's an absolute L no matter how you felt about her BF. 😭 But I also agree about the bio-pics of these scammer stories! It leads to an even more disturbing trend of bio-pics of real.... murder cases that are relatively recent. Like "The Thing About Pam," or how they're making a series about that girl who allegedly s**cide baited her bf into the act? (I say allegedly cause I didn't follow the case or results.) Like.... ok I think there's a difference between making a series on say, Jack The Ripper with the theories on who done it and the people directly impacted being long gone. But the people these events impacted are very much alive, and can absolutely be hurt by dramatized and inaccurate betrayals of themselves, the events, and their loved ones in these series. I like True Crime myself, but I've noticed in the boom of it a lot people who do true crime fall for sensationalism and the dehumanization of these events and people (victims and perps alike). And these new true crime bio-pics seems like that dialed up to 11. 😬😬😬

[@PrincessLioness]

Thank you! So many people gloss over the racism of the cult in the movie.

[@phoenixfritzinger9185]

It’s Fight Club for people who own “we are the Granddaughters of the Witches you could not burn” mercy

[@tireduwu1734]

26:29 I agree with this point so much. Like, forget relatability already; give me something which will make me forget about the insufferable life I'm living on this space rock.

[@_23mike91]

I don’t think Netflix making movies about these people is a good thing lol

[@lfried]

Search Party is one of the smartest shows in the last 6ish years that came to a finale this year. Satirizes true crime, mystery, cult stuff and all that. Super underrated and I feel like “Only Murders” was trying to ride the wave SP started. Highly recommend!

[@tacobell5344]

i love the difference between all of your videos. every one is such a unique topic and i never know what’s coming next :)

[@Emnms68]

Mina I’m so glad you mentioned the algorithm pulling in people who aren’t subscribed to you because I glanced at the subscribe button and it said I wasn’t subscribed! Idk how but I’ve heard of this happening; KZbin will randomly unsubscribe people from channels.

[@ucjakluz5538]

'How to Steal a Million' with Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite scam/heist movies. Very charming and very obviously fictional.

[@KathBorup]

I was scammed recently and when it happens to you there is a lot of trauma which goes along with it. It's not just the money It's the feeling foolish and that you didn't see the scam for what it was. The reality is that there are countless, new and sophisticated scams popping up everywhere. I have watched a lot of content related to scams and the one I lost money in still caught me completely by surprise. Be careful out there and do research before you buy anything online.

[@youtubewontletmetypeagoodu8128]

Scammer stories are so weirdly intriguing idk. I guess it’s partly the person lying and it being kind of absurd. It’s also crime that’s less extreme than brutal murders so it’s a lot less heavy

[@mar2143]

My only problem with scammers is that they often scam people who have not done any evil to society. I have no issue with someone scamming big companies or the elites but something about scamming someone who is most likely living paycheck to paycheck and rarely indulging on life’s pleasures seems wrong

[@Johnny.Angelico]

Mina!!! I have been saying this, our love for the social climbers & schemers is so real because it’s like **I** could never but I’m flabbergasted she did, good for her 💀

[@emmyandboo]

Check out lillee jean!! She's a good scammer story, but I think she's actually sweet

[@briarchambliss]

@@emmyandboo i mean she's kinda racist so not that sweet imo

[@emmyandboo]

@@briarchambliss oh man, I didn't know that! yeah, def unsubscribing to her now!

[@Johnny.Angelico]

@@emmyandboo YES!!! I remember her story when CreepShow Art (omg) did a video on her! I wish I had this level of confidence because she swears we all just DONT know 💀💀💀

[@Johnny.Angelico]

@@briarchambliss her racially insensitive “fan accounts” like what even…

[@andreathompson9605]

I was scammed a couple days ago. I figured it out and got them out of my house and paid them no money. It's not something that is cute or entertaining when it happens to you. It leaves you feeling horrible like you were just attacked. These people are horrible monsters and deserve no empathy.

[@kayakat1869]

Me and my sister are always coming up with hypothetical scams. We were thinking of scamming evangelicals to pretend them we got "saved", and then write books and go on talk show circuits and get money for days. Might still do it. Those people are Easy with a capital E.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

I love these stories for the simple fact that they are able to get away with so much, and that the systems in place to stop this from happening are worked around by simple human error.

[@guaranteedbyshwarmi]

if you like Only Murders, there's a lot of similar musicals out there that take that kind of True Crime but Comedic And Goofy tone and run with it. there's even a Catch Me If You Can musical (which i prefer to the movie, personally) if you want to see the differentiation between how one adapts film versus musical. but my favorite Murder Turned Comedy musical is probably "A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder", which is, yes, also a period piece! a lot of period pieces that deal with murder tend to be my favorites, as opposed to contemporary ones, like Miss Fischer's Murder Mysteries (which i assume youve already watched). i also really like the sound of Miss Scarlett And The Duke, vut i havent seen any of it yet maybe its because my dad used to sit me down to watch Old Westerns (weird since we're Native American) and Film Noir with him. something about the lawlessness, the honor-bound (in Westerns: usually also venegeful) hero, and how it was easier to get away with crime back then of Anything Goes, i guess? i don't know. if you're into older movies tho, i HAVE to then recommend to you "The Third Man". someone told me once that it's a Film Noir movie with a Old West hero, and how those two are in/compatible (an American goes to Italy when his childhood friend offers him a job there, only for the friend to have been a victim of a baffeling murder the day the American arrived. the American decides to take vengeance and look for his friend's murderer to bring him to justice, despite everyone's insistence that he not only has no idea what he's getting himself into but that he also actually doesn't even know his childhood friend like he thinks he does), and ive never been able to look at it the same way. especially if you fact-check the Ferris Wheel speech. but yeah. one of my favorite movies, ever. they filmed on-location in post-WWII Italy, which has this beautifully haunting mixture of angelic archeitecture with giant bomb-made holes in the walls and rubble everywhere. it's such a gorgeous movie. A++ mixture of a scam and a murder and it's primary (sole) female character is just [chef's kiss] lmao

[@carolineamstrup2463]

I am Danish and grew up with my parents watching scandinavian crime shows pretty much every night (they still do!) and I personally have never enjoyed seeing people getting beaten up, murdered, raped and so on, but a show I recommend to everyone is the Danish/Swedish show: The Bridge (Danish: Broen) , it’s crime done in a very interesting way. You can watch it on Netflix❤️ thanks for another great video Mina🙏🏻

[@lilyjones2368]

Honestly if you are scamming regular people-the last thing you deserve is a series made about you. But if you’re scamming rich people? Imma watch the series 🤪

[@ono3707]

mina making a 30- minute essay and concluding the video with " idk, scammer content is fun" is such as mood.

[@kayel4487]

As scammers exploit (mainly vulnerable) groups of people for profit, they are as much supporters of capitalism as the rich people and corporations that deride them. The latter are just fighting over who has the right to exploit people (and how).

[@sophie9984]

A movie I enjoyed lately was „Fresh“ on Disney+. It is a crime story, with really appealing visuals, really great and modern costume design, women standing up for themselves and a nice subtle sense of humour without making it too goofy.

[@maeganbaker9441]

I never understood ppl romanticizing scammers-- to me scamming others is evil, not aspirational, and if u find it inspiring that's a bit concerning

[@majesticneopolitanicecream4553]

Haven’t watched the video yet but this is perfectly timed because just last week our English class needed to do presentations on a topic related to material wealth and almost every group( including mine) talked about scammers even though there were so many other topics. It really made me think about the glory and fame we choose to give these people

[@Sky-bx9mn]

For me personally, scam stories help explain and offer patterns for understanding abusive behaviors, as the emotional manipulation tactics scammers use are also common in abuse.

[@laum5371]

your hair looks so cuuuute!!! On a note a work at a finance company and I have to explain this kind of frauds all the time to people that are sure that their tinder boyfriend is in a emergency. so i like that we are obsessed with this subject since it might be edicational

[@E42545]

Unpopular opinion in the true-crime-as-a-hobby culture we millennials live in, but I want more content like this that examines the intricacies/negatives of what’s at its core a pretty bizarre&fkd up thing to glorify/participate gleefully in. Like, where’s the line of the deluded Robin Hood vs the deluded abusive sociopath/narcissist and *IS* there even a line? If there’s not a line or it’s blurry- why are we treating what we’d in any other context call horrific and narcissistic and abusive as trite entertainment or even an aspiration? All hypothetical questions but ily Mina for bringing them to mind

[@someonesomewhere2312]

one more reason i'd like to add to this topic is, everyday people are getting more n more screwed by the system... so it's nice to see a show that shows someone from the crowd getting up and scamming this same system... even if they don't give it back in anyway, even though it's only for themselves, we love them... market day entertainment, we'll just sit on the side and see the scammer running and deceiving the police behind them lol

[@biancaroyale3741]

The only person who ever made the scammer protagonist face the consequences of their actions and the fact that it's never the rich who pay the price of their scams is Sir Terry Pratchett (Going Postal).

[@chrish2277]

I think it's a form of escapism. Something people would never do but the most popular ones seem to have lived the high life and spent money, if only for a time. There's also the thought that "if I did that, I'd never get caught". You summed it up well with your comment of it being 'aspirational'.

[@Julie-nv4hw]

Mina, your hair looks STUNNING 😍 Also thank you for so much great content, you’re probably working so hard on it ❤

[@sarakjeldsen769]

That's very true about confidence is valued more in men, generally, so even when they're scammers, a lot of people still appreciate their cunning-ness. If a woman is found out to be a scammer, they almost treat her like a witch. I also see what you are saying about the girl boss trend. Nothing wrong with being a hustler if that's your nature, but it's not me at all, and I feel the pressure sometimes that I should be hustling for "more" and that I haven't reached an ideal life yet. Also, very much all for the "era" trend. I see every era as a different version of me - and it promotes growth and discovery.

[@stormwalkers98]

As a literature lover, I'm seeing some striking similarities between these shows about millennials lying and scheming their way to the top and the Picaresque novels which originated in Spain in the 16th century. These would center around a scrappy, roguish hero from a low social class who goes through life by their wits, exposing the moral hypocrisy and foolish decadence of the society they live in. But where these modern shows fail is that they're so obsessed with portraying these almost superhuman, norm-breaking schemers that they forget to actually say something meaningful about the society that allowed itself to be seduced by their lies.

[@raro344]

That and most of those norm breaking chararter also break norm that should stay there.

[@emilyonizuka4698]

I did a course on tricksters back in uni and I think this is just another manifestation of that trope and a lot of the draw is basically the same, but dressed up for modern audiences. the adaptability, cleverness, tricking and being tricked simultaneously, the morally grey approach to everything, and just generally shaking things up whether it ultimately has any pay off or not.