Karin Malchow

Scam Examiner
Gullible suburban mother of four regularly duped in her half-century life. Exploring hoaxes and schemes as the ExSCAMiner, she attempts answering the nagging question: Should I have fallen for that? Got scam tips, email Karin at ScamExaminer@gmail.com.
  

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Scam Examiner

Scalping in Beijing

POSTED July 18, 11:53 PM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
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Used to be cheaper. 
 

Chinese Olympic organizers hoped to discourage ticket scalping, allowing only one August 8 opening ceremony ticket per applicant.  Also, an opening or closing ceremony ticket contains a security chip embedding the user's identification and purchase information, including a picture.

Opening ceremony tickets could be transferred through July 14 to a person providing the required information, although only at the purchase price.  A Bank of China employee told the Beijing Times she transferred a ticket purchased for 210,000 yuan ($30,600 U.S.) with a face value of 5000 yuan ($730 U.S.)

With those kind of profits, no wonder scalpers take a chance, even when threatened with three year's "re-education through labor," a police-imposed penalty not requiring a trial.

Going to the Olympics or planning a future trip to China?   Check out these common tourist scams first.

Topics: ticket scalping , Beijing Olympics

More from Scam Examiner

Con men check in but they don't check out

POSTED September 4, 4:56 PM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
A version of dine-and-dash in the hotel industry is the stay-don't-pay.  While most of us have to present credit cards, reserving future charges, sophisticated con artists fool fine hotels by brashly adopting VIP mannerisms:  booking expensive... Read More
Topics: Con artists

Labor Day misnomer?

POSTED September 2, 7:27 AM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
Labor Day:  Traditionally, school starts right after the United States prematurely celebrates the end of summer with a barbecue.  Not much about labor, though, unlike much of the world on May 1, International Labor Day.In 1894, Grover Cleveland... Read More

Voter registration scams

POSTED August 31, 12:08 PM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
 With the national election heating up, phishers use the opportunity to mine identity theft information.  The FTC issued a warning not to provide social security numbers or other personal information to unsolicited e-mails or phone calls claiming... Read More
Topics: phishing , voter registration

Individuality v. uniformity at the DNC

POSTED August 27, 11:52 AM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
Everybody understands security concerns at the Denver National Convention, but what about limiting delegate freedom of speech?Why can't delegates bring their own signs into the Pepsi Center?  They'd pose no security threat and would certainly be... Read More
Topics: DNC

Ordinary people shouldn't speak at the DNC -- they don't deserve it

POSTED August 26, 8:41 AM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
Ordinary people don't deserve the abuse, that is.  Everybody knows they're trotted out to show how democratic Democrats are or maybe providing filler before the main events.  Plus, nobody on the floor appears to be listening while walking around... Read More
Topics: DNC

When (Bigfoot) jokes go bad, things get ugly

POSTED August 23, 9:28 AM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
Applied linguist Nancy Bell asserts that telling a bad joke provokes angry social responses, sometimes even leading to violence.  Although her research recorded responses after recruited students told unfunny jokes during conversation, hoaxsters... Read More
Topics: hoax , Bigfoot

The Ponzi scheme school of hard knocks

POSTED August 21, 7:04 AM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
CNN reports a recent Ponzi scheme (where the primary business conducted is paying old investors with new investors' money) ensnared a well-educated crowd:  University of Miami employees reportedly duped as accomplices and investors who were... Read More
Topics: Ponzi scheme

Just a gigolo cinema

POSTED August 19, 6:22 PM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
Young men with ulterior motives pursue older or unattractive (by Hollywood standards) women in these acclaimed films.The Heiress (1949) -- Montgomery Clift (earning a Christopher Walken Creepy Factor of 7) woos emotionally abused Olivia de Havilland... Read More
Topics: movies

Monsters coming out of the closet

POSTED August 16, 9:11 PM
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
With Gawker's recent fascination with the likely viral movie campaign Montauk Monster, the Bigfoot press conference by admitted hoaxsters, and the Chupacabra video, one has to wonder:  What cultural trends (besides a slow news day) coincide with... Read More
Topics: hoax , myth , Bigfoot , Chupacabra , Montauk Monster

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