Thread: People Using "Religion" to Scam Others

Dave welcome to the thread,

Good work here. A Simple Strategy to Distinguish Between MLM Business Opportunities and Bankruptcy Opportunities - Blogs - RealScam.com - Is it, or isn't it? You Decide.

Originally Posted by Dave Ritchie

ribshaw:

schadenfreude |ˈSHädənˌfroidə|, noun, “pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.” — New Oxford American Dictionary

Huh, I thought that was the goopy stuff that goes on hot dogs.

A bully getting knocked out does not generally elicit the same emotion as when it happens to someone who was minding their own business. While both reactions are likely visceral, I suspect varying degrees of schadenfreude are more common than most admit in polite company.

Originally Posted by Dave Ritchie

However, I take issue with schadenfreude directed at folks who pay a price for failing to heed the many warnings available to them. NO ONE deserves to be defrauded, whether they're victimized as a result of an infirmity or because of their unwillingness to accept the counsel of people like you and me who, without compensation, bend our efforts in their interests—an unwillingness we may perceive as foolishness or willful ignorance.

There are people right now in churches (and the internet) being presented "opportunities" for them to invest in. I will make perhaps a caustic statement "If they invest, they deserve to lose". Reasonable people can argue what exactly I mean by "deserve", but that is exactly how I handle our family finances. There are plenty of areas I can "afford" to be ripped off, and make plenty of stupid choices each year. That said, no one gets their paws near family money. I would rather accept a smaller return and know exactly where our dosh is.

It is a simple chestnut that would save BILLION$ each year. For people who are trying to make a yes/no decision on doublecashcylcyer4X.scam , especially as you say for people who lack the ability to think critically. If they know I may giggle a little when things go sideways, all the more reason for them to tread carefully.

Very much enjoy looking at "opportunities" and putting pen to paper as it where on why they might or might not work out. People do deserve to be able to read well researched, well though out positions. No one wants to come to a blog where everything is just called a SCAM-- THREAD CLOSED. BUT there have to be hundreds of independent threads here and on other scam sites without a single "opportunity" that has panned out. Sans perhaps for the pimps. There are hundreds if not thousands of years of history of "too good to be true" NEVER working out. Even in the legitimate business world, 95% ish fail within several years. At some level all of us need to go into each "business" decision with eyes wide open, and none of us can afford to rely on bloggers to do it for us.

The proper approach in my opinion (not my original thought) is for someone looking an opportunity is to evaluate all the possible negative outcomes and ask themselves if the worst comes to pass, "can they live with the outcome"? If they are not prepared or able to do this, they are not ready to invest. The guy in the next pew claims to be brokering close outs, or doing hard money loans and wants them to invest. What is the worst that can happen, they can lose 100% of the money they put in.

If they decide to get in on it, and they put in more than they can afford to lose.....

Thank you sir! It's a pleasure to be in league with thoughtful commenters such as you, who can gracefully rise to a challenge from an ally. I appreciate your clarification.