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Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 14, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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In addition to what @DoctorMonarch said, most American scammer types tend to focus on credit card fraud and identity theft because the payout is much higher and you can avoid the face to face interaction that comes with traditional flim flam. Ditto for all the Facebook markelplace scams where some guy from out of town wants to pay for something with a certified check and have somebody else pick it up. The guy hustling ten dollars in fake gas money gets away with it because the cops aren't going to pursue something that small unless it happens right in front of them. As you implied, if something like the tour scam happened in the US the cops would be on to the scheme right away and it would be hard for the scammers to duck them. Pickpocketing doesn't really work in a country where few carry cash and a missing credit card will be cancelled within hours.