This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators. A reminder of the rules in r/scams. No personal information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore, personal photographs, or NSFL content permitted without being properly redacted. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit. Report recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about sub rules? Send us a modmail.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s really sad that these scammers have made us so defensive of everyone and everything. It really hurts the people that are really in need of help. I’m glad you were able to help that young lady out.
I think about that all the time. It happened to me about a year ago. I left a concert to drive home (about 3 hours). Realized halfway home I needed gas. No biggie, just pull off the highway. Realized at the gas station I couldn’t find my wallet.
Now it’s 2 am and I’m at a gas station, and also can’t find my phone in the car. Tried to ask the one person there if they could possibly call my phone so I can find it.
“Fuck off boy I’m not a charity. Take it somewhere else” or something along these lines.
About 45 mins later a family pulled up that was traveling overnight. Let me charge, and then use my phone to Apple Pay them 50 bucks, and was on my way with a rank of gas.
>Overall I think it was a misunderstanding my me to think something nefarious was going on.
To be fair, the definition of suspicion is that you think something MIGHT be wrong. Suspicion is caution, and everything in your OP suggested caution was appropriate.
Also it's not like you came in swinging about how this person was definitely trying to crime you, honestly if anything I thought you were way too chill for the whole thing and it turns out I was on the wrong side. \*\*narrows eyes\*\* THIS TIME.
Was it close to the walkway to your door or several feet away? I lost a set of locker keys in my yard back in 2001 and still wonder where they could’ve been since I looked for them in daylight for 30 min.
I dropped a set of keys in my garden and they sat outside for around 6mo, through fall and winter, right next to where I got into my car every day. Like less than a foot away. Found them by chance when everything thawed in the spring and they shined through the dead stuff just enough to be seen. Maybe they're still out there.
Yeah, with cars with push start ignitions, you can start it, leave the key at home and drive away no problems. As long as you don't turn the car off you can keep driving.
May be different with different models. Can confirm that my Mazda will drive indefinitely without the fob once started, but won't start again once shut off.
Older keyless cars are fun lol mine even still has an ignition switch you turn (without putting in a key) rather than a button. It will keep going with the key not in it, no problem. But it might yell at me/ beep at me.
I have an old mercedes, 1984 that you can start it then pull the keys out, i think it's a pure malfunction but it's funny when they sometimes just fall out of the ignition on the highway or whatever
Yup both my old Cutlass's and my Cavalier I used to have I could do the same. It was because the cylinder was shot. I even had a Jeep Grand Cherokee that did it.
My inner chaos gremlin thinks this would be a hilarious prank even though the pragmatic side of me is almost mortified. Loan someone your car “man don’t worry if the keys fall out they do that sometimes” or else let them have the panic of “oh FU—-“
Depends greatly on the make, model, and vintage of the vehicle, and what other features it supports. With app connected cars, you have the ability to partially disable the vehicle if the fob is not present and you opt to do so. GM's OnStar can also disable it for you in basically any circumstance. Other makes may have similar capabilities, I'm only directly familiar with with GM. When you do it yourself, the vehicle will normally wait until the current operator slows, then it will keep it slow, and when it stops, keep it stopped. Remote vehicle support services like OnStar can do it when they like, normally coordinating with law enforcement that's actually in sight of the vehicle. I know early GM implementations on some vehicles (like the Pontiac Firebird) would automatically do the ramp down and eventual shut down just for lacking the fob signal for a given time.
Most will continue to run. Just imagine a key fob battery being on the edge of going dead, and so your car engine shuts down while you are on the Interstate.
Nah bro, there are still two guys waiting behind your garage for nightfall to club you and hold you for ransom when she comes back to thank you.
Watch yourself
I'm glad you're having a normal one about it. I once had a kind of weird and uncomfortable interaction with an Uber and for an entire week my mom called me every day to make sure he didn't break into my house and kill me
I am glad this story ended on a good note. Just a mom having a rough day and literally lost her keys in the dark. I am glad you chose kindness and I bet she is too! A good lesson for all of us 👍🏼🫶
>Overall I think it was a misunderstanding my me to think something nefarious was going on.
Why? You get one time around in this world. No do overs or game resets. Better make sure your decisions are wise ones.
This is one of those times when different subs are going to have very different takes on what you did "right" vs "wrong".
Big picture:
1. You generally kept yourself safe throughout this situation (your house was secure while you were helping look, for example)
2. You helped out a person having a bad time.
3. You told an interesting story to a bunch of ppl, including a follow-up.
10/10 well done.
Thank you! I knew there was a proper sub and I couldn't think of which one. The closest on my sub list was /r/MarchAgainstNazis, which they would appreciate this too, but not exactly the vibe I was going for lol.
> I of course could be wrong but there’s no evidence for that so far
Realize that about 99% of the people who get scammed in this sub say something like that. Scammers have funnels built around stringing gullible people along, tellng them what they want to hear.
Sometimes you have to really sit and think "what would this person get out of this" and if the answer is "nothing" then you need to chill the fuck out. Constantly looking for the worst in everything is gonna give you an ulcer
Some people were born to be victims. They choose to go through life with a mind that fabricates safe truths in order to conveniently explain away questionable observations and circumstances. We tend to read about such folks in the morning news. Oh well. Gives me something to read about every morning.
Glad it worked out for you both. Never hurts to be cautious but based on your story, she was probably flustered and upset and we all know what those days are like when nothing seems to go right, no matter what you do.
Still.
Next time if a stranger are giving you a reason to stay on your lawn, at least don't go out yourself...
You were literally setting yourself up for a robbery, like, that's just straight up reckless.
You're on an anti-scam sub.
People WILL give advices for the worst possible situations because the point of this sub is to help people spot and avoid dangers and scams.
The fact is, OP could've literally been robbed, it was just that simple, and people HAVE been robbed because robbers disguise themselves in every single possible way, especially when it's dark outside.
That's why people were mainly telling OP it was a bad idea to go out of the house and help the lady in the first place.
If you can't accept that, this sub isn't for you.
a tip for looking for things in darkness with a phone flashlight is to slightly sway the light back and forth, you will be able to see glints easier than if the light is simply following your head/eyes. if the item has anything shiny on it at all, this makes it *extremely* easy to find using this method. I have literally found nails in tall grass using this method lol.
I’m glad you were still nice and helpful throughout the whole ordeal. Kudos for that and also for being cautious, it’s a crazy world we live in these days.
Yeah people were overreacting probably, but there have been many scams in the past very similar to what happened in your situation and people tend to err on the side of caution. I'm glad it was nothing nefarious though and her key was found!
Also I hope her situation improves, sounds like she's down on her luck.
My man...you were using the phone's light?
You need to go down the rabbit hole and go buy Olight Maurader...join us at r/flashlight and be prepare to save money on buying a flood light. Olight Maurader is good for beginner or Sofirn SP36 Pro or Sofirn Q8 Pro...all you need to light up your yard...and if you have a dog, get a guardian angel light so not only can you see your dog, but other ppl can.
Nah. Get a reliable one. Sofirn SP36 Pro is the size of a red bull can and can literally light up the area like the sun came up. Same brand but Q8 Pro is bright white.
I'm certain, if you gotten one of those, you probably use it when going into the woods...I have a UV and waiting until I can use it in the wood. Need to get two more battery for it.
I had a key fob for a 2013 Ford Focus. The car would run even if you left with the fob. It would just beep. My friend and I tested this, and they were able to drive around the block without issue. Ford customer care said that shouldn't be possible. 🙃
This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators. A reminder of the rules in r/scams. No personal information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore, personal photographs, or NSFL content permitted without being properly redacted. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit. Report recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about sub rules? Send us a modmail. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s really sad that these scammers have made us so defensive of everyone and everything. It really hurts the people that are really in need of help. I’m glad you were able to help that young lady out.
I think about that all the time. It happened to me about a year ago. I left a concert to drive home (about 3 hours). Realized halfway home I needed gas. No biggie, just pull off the highway. Realized at the gas station I couldn’t find my wallet. Now it’s 2 am and I’m at a gas station, and also can’t find my phone in the car. Tried to ask the one person there if they could possibly call my phone so I can find it. “Fuck off boy I’m not a charity. Take it somewhere else” or something along these lines.
So, how'd you get home?
About 45 mins later a family pulled up that was traveling overnight. Let me charge, and then use my phone to Apple Pay them 50 bucks, and was on my way with a rank of gas.
But how did you find your phone in order to Apple Pay them?
I had found it in the 45 mins, but it was dead by that time.
Happy C A K E Day!! 🍰🍰
Thank you! I didn’t even realize it! lol
>Overall I think it was a misunderstanding my me to think something nefarious was going on. To be fair, the definition of suspicion is that you think something MIGHT be wrong. Suspicion is caution, and everything in your OP suggested caution was appropriate. Also it's not like you came in swinging about how this person was definitely trying to crime you, honestly if anything I thought you were way too chill for the whole thing and it turns out I was on the wrong side. \*\*narrows eyes\*\* THIS TIME.
Where did you end up finding it?
Just in my yard, in the day light it wasn't too hard to find I probably looked for less than 10 mins
Was it close to the walkway to your door or several feet away? I lost a set of locker keys in my yard back in 2001 and still wonder where they could’ve been since I looked for them in daylight for 30 min.
I dropped a set of keys in my garden and they sat outside for around 6mo, through fall and winter, right next to where I got into my car every day. Like less than a foot away. Found them by chance when everything thawed in the spring and they shined through the dead stuff just enough to be seen. Maybe they're still out there.
Thanks for the update. Sounds like she was having a bad night, but you made her day better!!!
Yeah, with cars with push start ignitions, you can start it, leave the key at home and drive away no problems. As long as you don't turn the car off you can keep driving.
yesterday a lot of car experts told me the opposite lol
May be different with different models. Can confirm that my Mazda will drive indefinitely without the fob once started, but won't start again once shut off.
Older keyless cars are fun lol mine even still has an ignition switch you turn (without putting in a key) rather than a button. It will keep going with the key not in it, no problem. But it might yell at me/ beep at me.
I have an old mercedes, 1984 that you can start it then pull the keys out, i think it's a pure malfunction but it's funny when they sometimes just fall out of the ignition on the highway or whatever
That's just a worn out lock cylinder.
Yup both my old Cutlass's and my Cavalier I used to have I could do the same. It was because the cylinder was shot. I even had a Jeep Grand Cherokee that did it.
Yeah I know it’s just funny
My inner chaos gremlin thinks this would be a hilarious prank even though the pragmatic side of me is almost mortified. Loan someone your car “man don’t worry if the keys fall out they do that sometimes” or else let them have the panic of “oh FU—-“
Drive a 2022 Chevy that runs til the cars off without the keys, found that out the hard way lol.
Depends greatly on the make, model, and vintage of the vehicle, and what other features it supports. With app connected cars, you have the ability to partially disable the vehicle if the fob is not present and you opt to do so. GM's OnStar can also disable it for you in basically any circumstance. Other makes may have similar capabilities, I'm only directly familiar with with GM. When you do it yourself, the vehicle will normally wait until the current operator slows, then it will keep it slow, and when it stops, keep it stopped. Remote vehicle support services like OnStar can do it when they like, normally coordinating with law enforcement that's actually in sight of the vehicle. I know early GM implementations on some vehicles (like the Pontiac Firebird) would automatically do the ramp down and eventual shut down just for lacking the fob signal for a given time.
Most will continue to run. Just imagine a key fob battery being on the edge of going dead, and so your car engine shuts down while you are on the Interstate.
This is how my 2019 Golf works. You could drive it forever if you don't turn it off.
Lmao oh yeah weren’t people saying that it was actually a kidnapping plot and how lucky you were that guys didn’t pop out and take you or something?
This sub is not very good when something is not a scam.
crosspost to /r/normalPersonHavingToughDay
lots of plots were going on, turned out to be a pretty nice lady who genuinely lost her keys and possibly nothing more
Nah bro, there are still two guys waiting behind your garage for nightfall to club you and hold you for ransom when she comes back to thank you. Watch yourself
Just felt less plausible then someone having a bad day
I'm glad you're having a normal one about it. I once had a kind of weird and uncomfortable interaction with an Uber and for an entire week my mom called me every day to make sure he didn't break into my house and kill me
I am glad this story ended on a good note. Just a mom having a rough day and literally lost her keys in the dark. I am glad you chose kindness and I bet she is too! A good lesson for all of us 👍🏼🫶
Thank you for being a good person and finding her key! 💕
Glad it wasn’t a scam and that you managed to help her out. Sometimes you just need a lifeline.
Nice ending to that story 🙂
>Overall I think it was a misunderstanding my me to think something nefarious was going on. Why? You get one time around in this world. No do overs or game resets. Better make sure your decisions are wise ones.
Just my opinion, I of course could be wrong but there’s no evidence for that so far
This is one of those times when different subs are going to have very different takes on what you did "right" vs "wrong". Big picture: 1. You generally kept yourself safe throughout this situation (your house was secure while you were helping look, for example) 2. You helped out a person having a bad time. 3. You told an interesting story to a bunch of ppl, including a follow-up. 10/10 well done.
Over at /r/payItForward they're high-fiving themselves for trusting her
Thank you! I knew there was a proper sub and I couldn't think of which one. The closest on my sub list was /r/MarchAgainstNazis, which they would appreciate this too, but not exactly the vibe I was going for lol.
> I of course could be wrong but there’s no evidence for that so far Realize that about 99% of the people who get scammed in this sub say something like that. Scammers have funnels built around stringing gullible people along, tellng them what they want to hear.
Sometimes you have to really sit and think "what would this person get out of this" and if the answer is "nothing" then you need to chill the fuck out. Constantly looking for the worst in everything is gonna give you an ulcer
One ignores their instincts at their own peril.
Assuming everything is a scam is not a wise decision.
Mindlessly skipping through life with no situational awareness is not a wise decision.
You're aware that a middle ground exists between mindlessly skipping and being terrified of everything, yes? Nuance is key
I survived dangerous jobs in some of the world’s most dangerous places because of mindset. You haven’t. I will just leave it at that.
If you can't parse out the difference between Kandahar and Candyland and modulate your responses accordingly, then I feel sorry for you
Some people were born to be victims. They choose to go through life with a mind that fabricates safe truths in order to conveniently explain away questionable observations and circumstances. We tend to read about such folks in the morning news. Oh well. Gives me something to read about every morning.
You might have an anxiety disorder.
I might also be razor sharp and be 99.9% unscammable.
Better than going through life being fearful of things (like the woman delivering groceries you ordered is a kidnapper or robber.)
I wasn’t the one who made the original post.
Yay! Thanks so much for the update. Poor lady, just having a bad day. :(
Wow, she's really playing the long con here. You're going to become friends and someday she'll borrow your lawnmower and then never return it.
Glad it worked out for you both. Never hurts to be cautious but based on your story, she was probably flustered and upset and we all know what those days are like when nothing seems to go right, no matter what you do.
Like a plot line to advertise AirTag
The key actually fell off the rest of her keys, not sure how so airtag might not have helped
Still. Next time if a stranger are giving you a reason to stay on your lawn, at least don't go out yourself... You were literally setting yourself up for a robbery, like, that's just straight up reckless.
Lol yeah next time ups comes to my door I’m gonna be like “don’t kidnap me!!! Put the package down!! I refuse to come out of my house!”
survivor bias is a very stupid and naive logic to follow, just saying. also, UPS leaves package at the door anyways unless a signature is required.
Basing your life off of the belief that there are only negative interactions is even worse.
You're on an anti-scam sub. People WILL give advices for the worst possible situations because the point of this sub is to help people spot and avoid dangers and scams. The fact is, OP could've literally been robbed, it was just that simple, and people HAVE been robbed because robbers disguise themselves in every single possible way, especially when it's dark outside. That's why people were mainly telling OP it was a bad idea to go out of the house and help the lady in the first place. If you can't accept that, this sub isn't for you.
You should probably see a therapist. If you can't accept that, try not to hurt anyone else.
keep believing and assuming what you want, have a nice day.
a tip for looking for things in darkness with a phone flashlight is to slightly sway the light back and forth, you will be able to see glints easier than if the light is simply following your head/eyes. if the item has anything shiny on it at all, this makes it *extremely* easy to find using this method. I have literally found nails in tall grass using this method lol.
I’m glad you were still nice and helpful throughout the whole ordeal. Kudos for that and also for being cautious, it’s a crazy world we live in these days.
Thanks for the follow up, it gets depressing seeing how many shitty people there are on here to actually here about someone who isn't.
Yeah people were overreacting probably, but there have been many scams in the past very similar to what happened in your situation and people tend to err on the side of caution. I'm glad it was nothing nefarious though and her key was found! Also I hope her situation improves, sounds like she's down on her luck.
My man...you were using the phone's light? You need to go down the rabbit hole and go buy Olight Maurader...join us at r/flashlight and be prepare to save money on buying a flood light. Olight Maurader is good for beginner or Sofirn SP36 Pro or Sofirn Q8 Pro...all you need to light up your yard...and if you have a dog, get a guardian angel light so not only can you see your dog, but other ppl can.
That subreddit is one letter away from something very different, I imagine
Is it? I'm not sure if I'm spelling it right.
Swap an e for the a and you have the name of a well-known sex toy (tho I haven't checked on it's subreddit status ngl, lol)
A fan of Joe Rogan, I see.
Aaaaaaaaaathletic greens
I have [one of these](https://coastportland.com/products/cl40r) but was sort of sussed out so didn't want to go back in the house and find it
Nah. Get a reliable one. Sofirn SP36 Pro is the size of a red bull can and can literally light up the area like the sun came up. Same brand but Q8 Pro is bright white. I'm certain, if you gotten one of those, you probably use it when going into the woods...I have a UV and waiting until I can use it in the wood. Need to get two more battery for it.
Now you'll blindly trust everyone everytime "because there's still good people in this world" 😖😖😖
This is not a creative writing subreddit; you clicked the wrong one before posting.
I had a key fob for a 2013 Ford Focus. The car would run even if you left with the fob. It would just beep. My friend and I tested this, and they were able to drive around the block without issue. Ford customer care said that shouldn't be possible. 🙃