With the benefit of hindsight and detachment, a scam always looks exactly that when it is revealed in the media. Observers wonder how anyone could be so gullible as to fall for a scheme that was never logically possible. However, the large number of victims are proof that it can be difficult to see through the false promises or illusory benefits on offer. Scams work because they target the greatest personal insecurities or fears. Criminal scams often suggest that money is required to ensure the health and safety of family and loved ones. But on the street, commercial scams are just as rife.
The latest suspected scam involves slimming centres. Objectively, the 'deal' is illogical and puts the business in conflict with the interests of the customer. It is not uncommon for slimming centres to offer free slimming services, albeit with a deposit. The money deposited is supposed to be refunded to the customer if the customer meets a weight reduction target. But as the Federation of Beauty Industry warns, customers should be highly sceptical of such offers since they are inherently illogical, with monetary reward linked to the failure of the services. Effectively, the companies lose any possibility of earning a profit if their services succeed in reducing their customer's weight.
When what is on offer is the promise of youth and perceived beauty, potential customers become blind to the obvious flaws in a scheme and become victims. The deposit scheme is ripe for abuse. Police have now arrested several employees of a slimming company as part of a continuing investigation. The company is alleged to have rigged the scales in order to keep hold of the customers' deposits. In other words, not only are the customers robbed of their deposits for the failure of the slimming service, but also led to believe that they are heavier than they really are, which can have far-reaching health consequences. Fortunately, past victims are now far more willing to make complaints and draw attention to these scams in spite of the perceived ignominy of having been fooled. The more the general public becomes aware of such scams, the less likely they are to succeed in the future.
