“That’s the Oldest Trick in the Book!” 11 Old Tricks People Still Attempt

People still get away with old tricks because we still fall for them! Here are 11 of the “oldest tricks in the book” – do you still fall for any of these?

I Forgot My Wallet

sad man looking into his empty wallet
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They’ll order everything on the menu, but as soon as the bill arrives, they’ll feign guilt and pull the “I forgot my wallet” crowd. We don’t believe them, but what will we do, not pay the bill?

 

Reverse Psychology

Woman with her hand on her chin with a thinking look on her face.
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The best way to get someone to do something is to act like they shouldn’t. 

Bait and Switch

A woman peeks at her pleasant with a sad look on her face.
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Advertise a fantastic product and deliver a flop. The good ‘ole bait and switch is so old it was one of the first recorded examples of a merchant complaint in history.

The Switcheroo

A woman has her hands on her head and her mouth open in shock and disbelief.
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The Bait and Switch’s sister, the Switcheroo, swaps something important for something ordinary. Plenty of heists use switcheroos when they replace valuables with fakes. 

Passing the Buck

Couple pointing fingers at each other to blame each other.
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Like a game of hot potato, the blame gets passed around until someone settles on a fall guy. 

The Check is in the Mail

Hands putting a paycheck into an envelope.
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The promise of payment for services rendered by a check at some undisclosed time in the future is a trick hardly anyone still falls for. 

Made You Look

An angry woman points away from herself.
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Convincing someone to look away by claiming something interesting is happening is a favored prank, but at one time, it helped escape confrontations. It worked for Marty McFly. 

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Back of a police man. He's wearing a bullet proof vest and has the word "police" in yellow letters across his back.
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The criminal justice system employs two cops for questioning: the mean cop who hates you and the good cop who’s trying to help you. Pro tip: neither cop wants to help you out. 

Razzle Dazzle

Magician holding deck of cards.
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Magicians use razzle-dazzle to distract your attention from their sleight of hand, but many others do it, too. Can you spot it?

Creating a Problem, Selling a Solution

smiling salesman pointing to a bright red box.
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Companies get rich off fake problems.  They’ll create an issue and manipulate people into buying into their solution for it. 

10 Examples of Manufactured Problems

An evil looking boss sits in his office counting his money.
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Don’t believe us? Here are 10 problems companies created that the public pays to solve. 

All The Things People Say in Romance

man smiling holding a heart cut out over his heart on a red background to show he's in love
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People constantly trick potential romantic partners. Men lie about their intentions while women play hard to get. Everyone dances around the truth in the dating game to get the best outcomes for themselves. 

Hard Work Pays Off

Business man sitting in the air crosslegged with multiple arms coming out doing many different things.
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Maybe hard work used to pay off, but it doesn’t anymore. Here’s why people no longer think it pays to try harder

Conspiracy Theories That Might Just Be True

Pretty short haired woman with her hand on her chin and a smile on her face as if she's having a happy thought.
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Some conspiracy theories are far more believable than others. Here are some we can get on board with

You Can Be Anything if You’re Rich

Happy carefree woman outside in the sunshine with her hands in the air.
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Millions of children had their childhood dreams dashed when the harsh realities of adulthood set in. Most of us can’t be whatever we want. Many careers require years of expensive schooling, which most of us can’t afford, or only offer positions based on nepotism. Hard work and talent aren’t always enough. 

Source: Reddit