What professions are the scammiest? \ stacker news ~AskSN

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680 sats \ 61 comments \ @stack_harder 17 Aug AskSN

What professions give you a knee-jerk reaction to think 'scum bag' or scammer?

For me, I always had this kind of knee-jerk reaction to taxi drivers, used car salesmen, and, mostly in Bulgaria, real estate agents. In more recent times, I would add anything crypto-related to the list, too.

Car salesmen are probably the worst still I think. My uncle was importing and selling Japanese cars many moons ago, and the car salesmen he had on the lot were basically just criminals, constantly lying, stealing, and being shady af.

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546 sats \ 13 replies \ @siggy47 17 Aug

Dentists

36 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 2h

This is my second option, dentists or doctors. For me, 80 or 85% are scammers, 10% work for social and family pressure (surely the family legacy). And 5% when many are the survivors. true believers of the oath of Hippocrates.

The rest follow is Hippocrita's teachings. Similar, but it is not the same.

36 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 5h

A friend of mine had dental insurance. He went to a new dentist, who told him that he had a bunch of cavities - like 7 or something.

Instead of fixing them all at once, or at least in one or two batches, the dentist had him come 7 separate times. That way the dental insurance could be billed for the absolute maximum possible.

I also doubt that he had all the cavities that the dentist claimed.

Another story - I went to my dentist for a regular checkup (back before I was cynical enough). She said that I needed a root canal. I said, "Oh, that's the tooth you just put a filling in last year, right?" The dentist checks her records, and says, "Oh, right. You don't need a root canal". That was decades ago, and that tooth hasn't bothered me. So, clearly, she would have given me a root canal, just to benefit her bottom line.

I think the MAJORITY of dentist are scam artists.

36 sats \ 1 reply \ @Natalia 6h

I had wonderful dentists, to the point where I would hang out with them for coffee and give them ideas to expand their business.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 6h

I finally found a great one. Of course the majority are okay, I'm sure.

50 sats \ 5 replies \ @BlokchainB 20h

Bingo!!!! I had so many issues with dentist! When they say ohhh I think we should drill on your tooth before it becomes a problem. Has lead to me seeing the drill more times than I needed.

I call it drilling for gold!

211 sats \ 4 replies \ @siggy47 20h

Exactly. It took me a long time to see past that veneer of respectable competence

68 sats \ 1 reply \ @BlokchainB 20h

Yeah which has always gotten me to side with them. I would rationalize getting my mouth drilled on because I would say to myself they are the experts.

My dentist now wants to redo a crown because it might become a problem in the future. I told him I’ll think about it soon as I feel pain. Going on 3 years since he recommended this service and the tooth is doing just fine.

79 sats \ 0 replies \ @Akg10s3 20h

It's a good plan 😅

36 sats \ 1 reply \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 20h

Nice play on words

89 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 20h

😀

36 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 14h

I'm always very suspicious about dentists. So when my dentist said I grinded my teeth and recommended a mouthguard four years ago, I ignored it. Then, a few months ago one of my teeth died because I ground it too much and had to get it extracted. sigh

I still don't trust them though

36 sats \ 1 reply \ @Mishawaka 19h

My dentist complains about his wife's gambling problem

When he found a cavity, it definitely got me wondering...

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 8h

i've been lucky with my dental experience, but I can totally see how their financial incentive is to do as much work as can be billed for

143 sats \ 3 replies \ @Signal312 21h

Doctors.

Constantly pushing unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures and pills.

70 sats \ 2 replies \ @SimpleStacker 14h

Doctors probably have the highest societal respect to deservedness ratio, in the US at least. I think they've made med school so hard and expensive that it only attracts a certain personality type, and that's a type that isn't necessarily suited to caring for the wellbeing of others.

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 6h

Well said. This is so true. I have some real nightmare stories about arrogant doctors giving wrong diagnoses and pretending it didn't happen. A little humility would go a long way.

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 8h

i think docs will, in their minds, be justified though. Even during the opioid epidemic, im sure a lot of them convinced themselves that it was harmless pain management. the power of denial is real

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 2h

🤔 I would say the technicians who repair things (phones, washing machines, computers) and car mechanics.

Here in South America, you cannot take your car to any mechanic. You end up with more breakdowns than you had when entering the workshop.

And the same goes for electronic artifacts.

If you are not a trusted or recommended technician by someone known, it is better not to go. Because you will surely end with more breakdowns or other damaged pieces that "require change."

107 sats \ 1 reply \ @euthymic 23h

Anything HR related

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

It's true, HR are just snitches

21 sats \ 3 replies \ @cryotosensei 7h

Insurance agents and property agents in my context. They may be disingenuous with the truth because their clients pad their wallets with fat commissions

24 sats \ 2 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

yeah, then go through hell trying to get a payout

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei 7h

Singapore and Bulgaria are as different as night and day - but it seems that insurance agents attract the worst personalities everywhere haha

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 5h

they transcend boarders lol

30 sats \ 1 reply \ @crrdlx 19h

Insurance sales. Whoever came up with the idea of selling something as intangible as insurance, and with as many loopholes, should be in the scammer hall of fame.

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 14h

Insurance contracts are designed to be confusing to the average person. They make it sound good but if you work through the math they aren't necessarily a good deal at all.

51 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 17 Aug

Pretty much anything to do with crypto.

40 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 14h

what, this guy doesn't look trustworthy to you?

40 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 8h

looks like the Jeff Dahlmer of Crypto

152 sats \ 2 replies \ @wilto 17 Aug

Has to be politicians

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @SevenOfNine 22h

It's so obvious an answer I completely dismissed it, but yes. This one should be the auto-default number one spot.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 14h

hot take: I tend to blame the politicians less than I do some other professions, like journalists.

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @Aardvark 17h

How has nobody said chiropractors?

42 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

good point! most people still think they're totally legit

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @joyepzion 9h

I’d throw multi-level marketing into the mix. Friends who joined lost thousands trying to build their business and ended up selling protein shakes to each other

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

good call , MMLs are the scumiest, especially when people brainwash themselves and become 24/7 shills

57 sats \ 2 replies \ @optimism 20h

Most tech, both consumer-facing and b2b. It's all fake-it-till-make it now. In fact, we have an entire AGI industry which is that.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

Influcer business hustler types are like this, and a lot of would-be tech bros.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 20h

I don’t think I agree with this. It certainly happens, but I don’t think most tech is all smoke and mirrors

35 sats \ 0 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 20h

Salespeople in general feel this way. I know they’re not all bad, but the bad ones ruin it for the rest

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @kepford 1h

Politicians, political commentators, financial planners, car salesmen, solar salesmen, and golfers.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 1h

Most suits and tech CEOs

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 1h

YouTube influencers and contractors (home)

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @HardMoney 3h

Door to door solar / pest control salesmen

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Natalia 6h

bankers, real estate agents, lawyers.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @batiscafo 8h

Bankers

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 8h

Bulgarian here, I was born and grew up in Germany, I noticed that "lying, stealing, and being shady af." is a Bulgarian thing and deeply rooted in this Nation. IMHO, Bulgaria should become the first EU protectorate., I mean why does it even exist? The politicians are almost all criminals, there is no justice system, no accountability, no due process in whatever you can think of, most of the people have low to no IQ. I mean give me one good reason against making it a EU protectorate...I am waiting.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stack_harder OP 7h

I'm not a Bulgarian, but I've lived here for ten years. To protectorate or not would be a different topic, and I certainly wouldn't be the person to debate on it. As for the people, I've met some absolutely wonderful people here, and I have also met some dummies and scammers.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Oxy 9h

Call center reps for things like auto renewing subscriptions. By the time you realize you’re paying, it's late already.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Entrep 10h

Insurance sales agents especially those who guilt trip you into policies you don’t need. Feels like being strong armed into buying a product that only benefits them

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @brave 11h

Crypto influencers? Absolutely. When your financial guru is making 50 grand a month from referral links, you know something’s off

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitcoingecko 15h

Anyone selling anything. Which is almost all "entrepreneurs"

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @lone_starr 17h freebie

central bankers

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Machiavelli23 22h

Used cars sales man are the worst. I’ve bought one car off a car lot in my life and it will be my last. There is always something wrong with cars and they push useless insurance on people. Next time I buy a car it will be new or a used one from an individual not a car lot.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SevenOfNine 22h

Anyone selling "crypto" or custody/middleman solutions. Run.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @LowK3y19 22h

The ones that tell you they have a job for you and to reach them on a whats app number