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what-product-is-an-obvious-scam-that-people-still-fall-for

· 3 min read

What product is an obvious scam that people still fall for?

When Reddit users get together to brag about the most ludicrous consumer scams, the conversation usually goes from "I bought a $200 watch that turns into a toaster" to "I spent $50 on a product that doesn't actually exist." The latest thread asks the deceptively simple question: What product is an obvious scam that people still fall for? The comments that followed were a delightful mash‑up of culinary nostalgia and pseudo‑science, with a side of tragic health drama. Here’s the full scoop.

Double‑stuffed Milano cookies. The double‑stuffed are what the regular cookies used to be, and today the single‑stuffed are pretty much just wafers with a suggestion of chocolate filling. Pepperidge Farm literally remembers.

Long before the internet, a single wafer with a hint of chocolate was enough to make your taste buds sing. Fast forward to today, and the double‑stuffed version—once the gold standard of cookie indulgence—has become the nostalgic gold that makes the original look like a sad, empty shell. The joke? People still call the wafer‑fluff a cookie, and some swear it’s “the same thing.” The product is a scam in that it’s supposed to be a cookie, but it’s really a wafer with a thin suggestion of chocolate.

2. Oscillococcinum: The Duck‑Liver Miracle (Not)​

Oscillococcinum.
It’s a homeopathic flu remedy sold at some drug stores. It says homeopathic right on the box.
It’s made from duck liver, which doesn’t treat the flu. Even if it did, it’s so diluted that there’s no actual duck liver in it.
Total scam, but people still buy it.

If you’ve ever been in a pharmacy and heard the tagline “All natural,” you may have seen the glossy bottle of Oscillococcinum. In the real world, it’s essentially water with a drop of duck liver. In the world of homeopathy, that drop is enough to cure the flu—because the product’s dilution is so extreme that no molecules of duck liver survive to do anything. It’s the “holy grail” for folks who want to feel better by not taking a real medicine.

I came here to say homeopathy, but this is an excellent and specific example I hadn't heard of - thank you. It's unmitigated codswallop.

I had a close relative who was in deep with the homeopathy crowd. They stopped their heart medications because there was a homeopathic solution provided by a friend who really knew what they were doing. Guess who died shortly thereafter?

The dropship Instagram ads, you can always find stuff cheaper than what they try to sell you

A sobering reminder that the line between “alternative” and “alternative medicine” can be thin—and sometimes deadly. The comments paint a picture: a family member stopped taking life‑saving heart medication, replaced it with Oscillococcinum, and tragically died. Meanwhile, the internet’s favorite dropshipper is always one step behind, selling cheap “miracle cures” that are actually just slightly more affordable versions of the same scam.

TL;DR​

  • Milano Cookies: The double‑stuffed version is now just a wafer with a thin chocolate suggestion, but people still call it a cookie.
  • Oscillococcinum: A homeopathic flu remedy that’s essentially diluted duck liver—so diluted there’s nothing left—and yet people still buy it.
  • Takeaway: If you’re buying something that sounds too good to be true, double‑check the ingredients and the science. And if you’re considering replacing heart medication with a miracle cure, you might want to ask a doctor first.