The ‘DM Drama’ account is a popular Instagram project that features some of the most dramatic, bizarre, and unhinged screenshots of online conversations between vendors and buyers. We’ve collected some of the strangest ones to show you. Scroll down to check them out!
More info: Instagram | DMdrama.com
Alas, it’s likely that if you constantly buy or sell things online, someone will try to scam you at some point. Nobody is immune to getting bamboozled (fancy degrees don’t protect you) because anyone can find themselves in a moment of vulnerability.
The best defense against scams is to learn to stay calm under pressure, ask for other people’s advice, and familiarize yourself with some of the most common and newest scams out there.
Scams are always evolving, changing, and adapting. Arguably, they’ll never go away, so long as there are people out there hoping to make a quick buck at other folks’ expense. Scammers typically try to create a sense of urgency to get you to lower your guard.
Usually, if your gut tells you that a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. And in this day and age, there’s not much urgency to be found when it comes to buying things. Sales happen so frequently that you only need a tiny bit of patience for the next one. Meanwhile, unless the item is a rare collectible, if the thing is currently out of stock, just wait a while: don’t buy it for a huge price when the supply is low.
"The more people who are scam aware, the fewer income streams scammers will have. You're never going to stop a scammer from being a scammer, but you can help people avoid becoming victims by educating them,” one of the moderators of the popular r/Scams online community told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.
"If you have been contacted by someone and you're suspicious, searching for unique-sounding phrases they use will show if the script has been used publicly before.”
Meanwhile, Google is a huge asset for you. You can use it to check a seller or business’s online reviews and its location (if it lists an address).
Have you ever had any weird online conversations with buyers or sellers, dear Pandas? What’s the most bizarre interaction you’ve had with them?
How often do you buy or sell things on the internet? What do you do to avoid scammers? If you have a spare moment, share your thoughts in the comments.
