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Karin Malchow
Scam ExaminerGullible 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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Tony DeMarco
Baseball Examiner
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Manny Ramirez and Dodgers make a statement in NL West
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Manny Ramirez and Dodgers make a statement in NL West
Angele Sionna
Early Childhood Parenting Examiner
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Forget Obama, Biden, McCain & Palin - Here's a vote the kids can take part in - Name a baby elephant
Early Childhood Parenting Examiner
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Forget Obama, Biden, McCain & Palin - Here's a vote the kids can take part in - Name a baby elephant
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Scam Examiner
What people do for a free lunch
Karin Malchow - Scam Examiner
In Milwaukee, Robert P. Farnam was arrested for faking a heart attack to avoid paying a $22.66 Applebee's check. He didn't pay his cab fare going there, either, using the same technique. A doctor recognized him at the hospital, threatening to call police if he tried the scam again. Farnam indicated he'd already been to another hospital that day, sent from a different restaurant. On probation for five similar offenses this year, as well multiple arrests prior years, he now faces a possible two year and nine months sentence.Not quite the level of the infamous Wendy's finger-in-chili scam, resulting in nine year prison sentences (possibly reduced through appeal) for the fraudsters. Of course, they were looking for a bigger payout than free food.
Angling for free food on a smaller, less bizarre scale, scammers target restaurants with the object (glass or bug) in food gambit; complaining about quality after consuming the entire meal; making the food poisoning phone call; and the Dine and Dash, easily converted to the Smoke and Dash in cities with an indoor smoking ban.
Here's a representation of Dine and Dash methods from the British television series "The Real Hustle."
Some restaurants dock wait staff for customers who leave without paying the bill. Not to mention the practice creates higher prices for everybody and suspicion for legitimate complaints.
E-how has suggestions on how to make a restaurant complaint without inadvertently looking like a scammer.
Topics: Con artists , fraud , restaurants , dine and dash
More from Scam Examiner
Con men check in but they don't check out
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
