Should I scam some crowdfunded money from idiots?

[Delta]

The more and more utter impossible shite I see, ranging from the T-charger (all traces see to have been removed), the Airing, Triton, etc etc etc, with idiotic people throwing money at, I start feeling I should leave my morals at the door and cash in myself.

[ez24]

If you do be sure to read the entire Batterizer posts.  Lots of advice on how to run a scam.  Advice is given on how the scam works NOT how to do it.

I am waiting for someone to download all the posts and make a Kindle version and sell it on Amazon.  Just do not know what the title will be.   

[Delta]

I have followed that marathon post from the start! 

One key thing I take from that, is to sell my scam offer perks at a cheap enough price that people won't bother chasing it up (even though I don't think they have any means to do so) when the impossible device fails to work / arrive, they'll just write it off.

[Len]

Should I scam some crowdfunded money from idiots?

No. Aside from making you an asshole and a crook, you'll ruin your professional reputation.

[Kilrah]

I'm frankly asking myself the same question sometimes.

For now I tend to stay on the honest/warning side of things - see my signature below.

[langwadt]

People who fall prey to scams aren't idiots. They're victims.
To label them all idiots without making any attempt to know more is ironically to make an idiot of yourself.

they can be both, if people fall for a scam because they are greedy or blindly throw money at something that is too
good to be true, idiot probably covers it

[Delta]

People who fall prey to scams aren't idiots. They're victims.
To label them all idiots without making any attempt to know more is ironically to make an idiot of yourself.

Come on Wilf, look how ridiculous some of these campaigns are!  I'm not saying that everyone who's lost money on a crowdfunding campaign is an idiot, just the ones who back ludicrous campaigns.

If I make up a campaign that is so idiotic, then by definition, anyone who backs it is an idiot!

[Skimask]

Why not?
Go for it.  The smart ones will see right thru it.  The not-smart ones will fork it over.

http://www.thenophone.com/

http://sharktankblog.com/business/nophone/

[CatalinaWOW]

While I am sympathetic towards fleecing people with more money than they know what to do with, and not enough brains to have earned it in the first place, I would feel terrible taking money from people desperately trying to improve their financial lot or those who are short on both money and brains.

If you can figure out how to sort that out maybe you could go for it.  But recognise that if you piss those rich dumb ones off they have the resources to come after you.

[AF6LJ]

Bad Karma Don't Do it...

[Circlotron]

OP aka Dogbert.

[EEVblog]

Do it like James Randi and "Carlos" did:


The deliverable perk can be a video explaining how they've been duped and shouldn't be so gullible in the future. Then refund everyone's money.

[FreddyVictor]

should you join the scammers ?
probably best not, but I understand the thinking/sentiment

as for doing a Randi, I believe the saying "It's easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled"
so I'm not totally convinced they would learn ....

[MrSlack]

Why bother when you can write software on contract?

Deliverables are hard to define. Hourly rate is crazy good. It's virtually impossible to measure what you're doing. Absolutely no risk to professional reputation. You can quietly screw nasty people trying to build an unethical business. People are queuing up to employ you even if you're crap.  It doesn't require commuting - you can just sit on your arse at home or sit in the car somewhere nice (my office view last week:

).

Who needs a scam 

[Kalidor]

Should I scam some crowdfunded money from idiots?

No. Aside from making you an asshole and a crook, you'll ruin your professional reputation.

You can create some identities for your team, I don't think that IGG has the resources to verify it. 

[Kalidor]

The deliverable perk can be a video explaining how they've been duped and shouldn't be so gullible in the future. Then refund everyone's money.

Don't refund the money, give it to Sea Shepherd, they do something useful with it, if you refund it it goes to the next scam.

[Howardlong]

Tcharger pages are still there https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tcharger-the-next-generation-wireless-charger#/comments

[Kalidor]

Tcharger pages are still there https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tcharger-the-next-generation-wireless-charger#/comments

Location: London, United Kingdom
Bank account country: Russian Federation   

[station240]

Why not move up one layer above the pond scum, and makes something that works, just not as perfectly as you originally claimed.

[Mechatrommer]

...and makes something that works, just not as perfectly as you originally claimed.

its a scam nonetheless.

btw, the answer to this is highly dependent on your belief systems. i can give you answer but then that will be based on my belief systems, may not be compatible with yours, so i'm not going to. thats why you see there so many variant of human beings, 1 trillion people with 1 trillion traits, this is "natural unselection" nature.

[StuUK]

...and makes something that works, just not as perfectly as you originally claimed.

its a scam nonetheless.

btw, the answer to this is highly dependent on your belief systems. i can give you answer but then that will be based on my belief systems, may not be compatible with yours, so i'm not going to. thats why you see there so many variant of human beings, 1 trillion people with 1 trillion traits, this is "natural unselection" nature.

I trillion people? last I looked it was about 7.5 billion so someway to go....

[Delta]

ironically, if you run a scam and at the end come clean, offer refunds / give the money to charity, you are opening yourself up to legal action, whereas if you go the usual route of "sorry, we tried but the money ran out" you are in the clear...

[Circlotron]

I trillion people? last I looked it was about 7.5 billion so someway to go....

Some people fall for scams more than once.

[Howardlong]

Not a scam, more of a piss take:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-freakin-thorium-roadways--4#/

[ez24]

Not a scam, more of a piss take:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-freakin-thorium-roadways--4#/

Could this be a Aprils fool joke?  Or a satire on IG ?     It looks like they are raising money.
Could it be people are paying money to be in on the joke?

1 claimed for $500 USD that a self conscious road will sing them a song ??

MEGA THORIUM BOOSTER!
When the thorium solar roadways become self conscious, they will sing songs in honour of your generosity!
1 claimed