In a previous article, I wrote about email scams. This article will be about other types of scams, but, perpetrated by dumb criminals. So, let the fun begin.

We have all heard stories about people who try to scam their way to a free meal at a restaurant. Some of us may even know people who have done this. I do. I had this friend years ago who would go into a restaurant, eat most of his food, and then would pull a small piece of jagged, broken glass, from his shirt pocket. This idiot would then proceed to cut his bottom lip with the glass and then would put the glass on his plate and mix it with a little blood and food. Of course, the manager was horrified and profusely apologized. The manager not only paid for the meal he just ate, but gave him a voucher for a free dinner for two.

In other restaurant news...

Do you remember a story where a couple said they found a finger in a bowl of chili from a fast food restaurant? The finger was later proven to have been put in the chili by the couple, who were trying to scam money from the restaurant. They were arrested and received prison sentences of nine years and were ordered to pay restitution of almost 22 million dollars in damages. However, the restaurant has said that they will only seek 170,000 dollars for the lost wages of employees who had to be laid off, after the restaurant's business took a hit in patronage, after the story of the chili finger was publicized.

The man in this next story took that to a whole new level. Allegedly, this gentleman would eat his meal and shortly after receiving the check, he would fake a seizure and the man would be rushed to the hospital. However, the last time he tried this stunt, he screwed it up by “flipping off” a waitress just before he had the seizure. It was further found out that this man had been arrested ninety times in the past. The research article did not say if any, or all of the previous arrests were associated with this type of scam.

What about the “scammers” who take advantage of peoples' kindness? You see and hear stories all of the time about families who are robbed of Christmas gifts and the community comes together and helps said families. You feel a sense of restoration in human faith when you hear about people stepping up in the time of need, but there are those who take advantage of these situations for personal gain.

One article contained a story about a man who decided to take advantage of being estranged from his wife. He called his office one day and told his boss that his wife had died of cancer and he has no money for Christmas presents. The company managed to raise over seven thousand dollars for this man and sent him a condolence card. However, the card was mailed to his previous address where, yep you guessed it, his ex wife lives. After reading the card, she called the company and reassured her ex husband's, now ex employer that she is indeed alive and doing well.

It amazes me the lengths that people will go to in order to get free money, but you really have to appreciate some the scams that people will come up and the the things they will do to go through with the scam.