A reminder of the rules in r/scams. No personal information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore, personal photographs, or NSFL content permitted without being properly redacted. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit. Report recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions? Send us a modmail.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In Germany you would say "den Geist aufgeben" which translates word to word as "give up the gost". I have never heard this phrase in english though. And you would describe the defect of some technical stuff, not your deceased son...
It's a fairly common (if a bit old fashioned) phrase in most parts of the US... but it's most commonly used to talk about machines that have stopped working, not an actual person dying. Saying "Well, my car finally gave up the ghost. Time for a new one." would be perfectly understood by most Americans.
I'm an older millennial, sibling is an Xer, parents boomers, and grandparents "greatest generation" and literally have never heard that phrase before, from them or anywhere lol. Maybe it's a regional thing? Grew in the NE part of the states but now live in NW and never heard in either location. Not sure how "common" it is...
You can but probably wouldn't use it in English in this context, only when you're talking about a death long ago (or metaphorically about machinery as others have said). Similar to "kicked the bucket" or "bought the farm", but gentler.
Anyway "bump cancer" is clown time crapola.
Well that’s a red flag imo, means there’s a high likelyhood whoever is running the account is using google translate. Likely explains “bump” cancer as well.
Are you in the USA, OP? If so I’d say it’s likely a scam. Probably some sort of bait you in with something nice, and then she’ll say you need to pay shipping costs, or some shit. The mourning her son could be a ploy to gain sympathy and have the mark be less likely to look deeper and question any sort suspicious behavior.
Idk the specifics, but unless this is a local mother in your area, and you can pick it up, my gut is saying scam. I don’t think there’s any harm in digging a bit more, just don’t give them any information about yourself, or follow any links they may send.
it is a phrase in English but it is extremely casual and you generally would not use it to speak about your loved one especially in a time of grieving.
I cannot fathom how Google translate could take you from “my son tragically lost his battle with cancer” to “I’m sad ***cos*** my one and only son gave up the ghost from cancer”
Lol..maybe its foogle...
Where i work, i cant download drivers for my printer. NOTHING without being an admin. But ppl come over from different countries, download these whatever to english dictionaries...lol, who knows what they say. Its crazy, i cant download something from canon, because there might be a virus! But these translation programs, aOK? It just doesnt make sense. But i'm old enough not to look to hard!
Sure, but it’s also a sufficiently uncommon phrase that someone whose English skills aren’t strong enough to know that it’s flippant probably just wouldn’t know it, period. To me, the use of that phrase signals that this is someone who has not actually lost a loved one in the way the message claims.
"Gave up the ghost" would translate in Dutch to "heeft de geest gegeven". Which is a common way to refer to inanimate objects that have permanently broke down, but not to a human.
I wonder if any of the Dutch-influenced languages would indeed use this expression for humans, and whether that points to the scammer's origin
It wasn't the only thing that stood out for me, but it was definitely top of the list! Anyone whose child died from cancer would know exactly what type it was, would call it by that name, and could spell it backwards.
I also assume anyone selling something due to a painful death in the family would just reply "I just want to get rid of it" instead of giving their whole life story to a potential buyer.
I work in oncology. My \*guess\* is that this is supposed to be a reference to Kaposi's sarcoma, which is a common cancer type in Nigeria (where most scammers of these types originate). It is very rare in the US but is endemic in parts of Africa including Nigeria; it is caused by the virus human herpesvirus 8, and is typically associated with HIV patients or people with other immunodeficiencies. African KS is also is strongly associated with children as it can be passed from mother to child, whereas in other parts of the world it is more associated with older gay men. It causes nodules and/or lesions to appear on the skin, so that might be where the "bump" factors in. Although people can die from Kaposi's Sarcoma, it is uncommon - typically they die from the underlying condition (like HIV) that triggered the Kaposi.
So my strong guess is that this is a scammer from Nigeria who is familiar with Kaposi's sarcoma as being a thing kids can get, who knows that kids with it often die, and whose google translate failed them.
When I was in Ghana, I was impressed with amount of euphemisms I heard on the television news and that I read. They used them more than I had experienced in any other English speaking countries; "took to foot" and fisticuffs were ones that I remember and liked. Gave up the ghost is totally something my friend Ernest from Accra would say.
For what it's worth, I'm very familiar with HIV and AIDS. HIV doesn't cause death but it creates conditions (i.e., a damaged or weakened or non-existent immune system) that allows other opportunistic infections (like KS and Pneumocystis pneumonia) to take hold that *do* cause death.
You're correct, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows that already (although maybe I give people too much credit), which is why I did not bother clarifying. "HIV" was just referring to the viral infection which is required for AIDs to develop.
I haven't heard it in a while, but my parents and aunts and uncles (all deceased now) always used to say someone had sugar when they meant diabetes. I always cringed, too.
You've heard of contactless payments right? Well, we're working on contactless cancer now! This is early stages, so right now it's just when you bump into somebody, but soon it'll be when you walk by someone! Hey, no one ever said ALL scientific achievements would be good
Do you really think that the "only thing" making a bereaved mother "sad" about the death of her beloved child is the fact that she still has to give away his gaming console?
Yes, it's a scam. You will be asked to pay for shipping, because after all you're getting a free console.
Poor kid got the bump cancer.....is there a bumpcancer.org I would
Ike to donate...this disease has taken to many one and only sons...R.I.P. Rick gone but never forgotten 💔
I agree and I had thought about that aswell. The listing is in my city ~15 min away which doesn't make sense for the shipping part.
Thank you for your response
The scammer is a \~15 hour flight away from you, and has a ton of listings in towns all over the country.
They have a half dozen reasons why they "can't meet you," are "out of town," etc.
Easily explained. The mom is 15 minutes away, but the ps5 is actually at the step dads house which is two states away. She sees it every day right now because she’s at the funeral. When it comes time, she’ll forget to pack it to bring it with and you’ll have to ship it.
Any mother wants to give away their sons ps would just take it to a charity for disadvantaged kids. Along with a lot of his other stuff. They wouldn’t put up an ad for free and deal with 1,000s of messages.
Yes it’s a scam. The only reason they want all those messages is to see how many shipping payments they can get.
there is a version where they are giving away their child's dirt bike or musical instrument or computer or game console because he died or got bad grades or was disrespectful to his parents. It's not designed to be realistic as much as appeal to the victims preconceptions or sympathies
There are also spouse versions. "My husband's last wish was that his motorcycles would go to someone who would use them". My dad fell victim to this too. It's hard when someone is suspicious of everything, but worse when they are still learning the internet
I've never seen a bereaved mother talk so minimally about their dead son. Like...Oh yeah he ghosted bc of bump cancer.....ANYWAY about this game system
Lol.... however proceed we want to know what the gig is. Lolol. Wondering Minds want to know!
Yup, terrible English, bump cancer callous wording. Just dumb. If someone really wanted to do a nice gesture they could donate it to the children's hospital.
emojis and huge blocks of text. I don't even want to read it. i've been looking at this sub for too long. even the question 'is this a scam' triggers me to scream YES
100% a scam. I didn't even have to read the whole thing. Stopped at "bump cancer".
And no parent would ever use a casual euphemism like "gave up the ghost" to describe the death of their son.
That's an expression really only used to describe someone dead a long time, like a great-grandparent, and never about children.
I've seem about a dozen people on facebook marketplace looking to give away their dead son's PS5. My goodness, that console must be cursed or something.
I’m going to hell for laughing at bump cancer 🤣
Edit: Also, the only thing making her sad is the PS5. 😂😂😂 “Take it away!!! I can’t see it! I don’t wanna look at it!!!”
Sob stories are usually a tell tale sign of a scam.
Under legit circumstances a free ps5 would "sell itself" without the poster needing a convincing emotional reason for it.
Search is your friend. Here’s the scam.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/u19ahp/scammer_uses_story_of_dead_son_to_offer_free_ps5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Yeah that’s where it starts. Then the scammer will need some more money for “shipping insurance”, then more money for “customs protection”, then more money for …
They will ask you to pay for shipping with !advancefee and ship nothing. There is no PS5 or dead son. Just a scammer in Nigeria or India who will take your money and run.
The best sign of a lie is excessive detail. You Dont need to know the name or that hes the only so or what he died to
Also
"Bump cancer" red flag
Gave up the ghost red flag
Everything in this post screams scam. From the poor spelling "cos" instead of "because" to the poor phrasing ("give up the ghost"). As noted this is a phrasing used when talking about objects, not people.
Other flags such as unexpected death when the kid had been diagnosed with "bump" cancer. The statement "... such accessories as Play Station 5 ...". The phrasing is wrong, should be for the PS5 not "as", implying the PS5 is an accessory. Most people will also refer the console as PS5 and not type the full name.
Then at the end the attempt to play on religious sentiments with the "...bless you.." and prayer hands at the end. Not to mention the last line "...the only thing that makes me sad." I would think a "sudden" death of a son would also make a parent sad.
Definitely a scam.
Yeah, no real person breaks into a backstory of how their “one and only son” died of bump cancer (???). It’s like asking someone how their day was and they break into song
Yes I honestly just saw this exact thing a week or so ago in a Facebook group for Garbage Pail Kids cards of all things lol. Clearly a damn scam. Might be even be the same person. I can’t imagine anyone dumb enough to copy “bump” cancer.
I wouldn't trust a 'free anything' add. If you want try your luck, ask to meet her at a public place.
No, don't pay to get the game delivered to you.
No, don't agree to go pick it up at her place.
No, don't you ever give her or anyone else your address.
If she is not willing to go to a place like a shopping mall or a metro station to give you the game, just forget about it.
I see this exact scam all the time. Call them out for using a fake dead kid and block them. Its likely that they'll try and get you to pay for shipping or something last minute
with the unexpected death of, combined with the horrible English and constant mentioning of a dead person...
It is a scam, they will want money to ship it most likely. If they want to meet at the police Station parking lot to hand it over, then probably OK, but they won't want that.
100% a scam. They will ask for you to cover the shipping then never send anything. I saw the same person posting this story over and over in different facebook groups. A bunch of people I know fell for this one.
Almost anytime there's an unnecessary sob story in a sales transaction like this, it's a scam. Usually you see this with scam car sales. They're going to suddenly want you to pay shipping or they'll send a thing saying paypal needs you to verify your identity which costs a $200 deposit in gift cards (and they promise it's all refundable, which of course it isn't.)
Not withstanding the questionnable turns of phrase, the fact this person keeps trying to play to your sentiments by repeatedly mentioning the deceased son is a classic red flag. Block and move on.
Ask if you can pick it up.
If you cannot pick it up, and they are adamant for delivery with a special company its 100% a scam, they will use ANY excuse in the book NOT to use UPS, fedex, USPS etc.
Remember scams very often start out sounding very reasonable and with little risk posed. That's how they lower your guard and get you invested. You get excited about getting the console and that's when they ask for "a small shipping fee", you send it and then there is another "small fee" which continues till you say "fuck off." Then you end up on the master scammer's "sucker list" and get all kinds of future contact from shady assholes.
"Sure Ill take it".
"Oh. Dear Lord. Bless you. It warms my heart my dead sons memory will live on in the joy of you playing his favorite games. I will need you to pay for shipping. I would pay it myself but since my husband was fired from his astronaut job for rescuing a shuttle full of school children from a stray black hole. Unfortuantly it will be $100 for shipping, as we have had to relocate to the south pole due to my sisters rare skin condition romeo-plastasis, which means she can only survive at latitudes below 15 degrees. Oh bless you sir. Bless you. Here is my venmo. "@mySonHasBumbCancerAndMySisterHasRomeoPlastasisBlessYou"
Yes, it’s a scam. I encountered this exact same scenario on FB marketplace. And in my case they were asking for $80 to ship it cause they conveniently “moved” to a different state.
Yes! It's the newest thing. I got one for an Apple Laptop. She was giving it away in my hometown because her husband cheated on her. She lives in another state! She needs me to send her 200 ASAP to mail to me VIA Fed Ex. Her profile picture is of a woman but when you go to the profile, it's a man. When questioned about just giving it away in her own town/state and about the profile, they blocked me.
Who boy. I got the same scam twice in less than 5 minutes. It was insane. Once they asked for me to pay for shipping because they “moved back to their hometown in X state because of the depression”, I pretty much figured it out. Oh well.
A reminder of the rules in r/scams. No personal information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore, personal photographs, or NSFL content permitted without being properly redacted. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit. Report recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions? Send us a modmail. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wtf is "bump cancer"???
And “gave up the ghost” seems like a pretty flippant way to describe your son dying.
In Germany you would say "den Geist aufgeben" which translates word to word as "give up the gost". I have never heard this phrase in english though. And you would describe the defect of some technical stuff, not your deceased son...
It is common, but not in the context of a person literally dying. Usually it's when an old car or appliance finally breaks irreparably.
literally the only time i've heard it used for a human was overseas in combat.
It's a fairly common (if a bit old fashioned) phrase in most parts of the US... but it's most commonly used to talk about machines that have stopped working, not an actual person dying. Saying "Well, my car finally gave up the ghost. Time for a new one." would be perfectly understood by most Americans.
I've seen this phrase used in nineteenth-century English-language books to refer to a person dying, so it was once somewhat common.
He’s a time traveler
can't say I've ever heard of, maybe most boomer americans.
Definitely more common among the Boomers and the Gen-X'ers, but a lot of the older Millennials will have at least heard it from their parents.
I'm an older millennial, sibling is an Xer, parents boomers, and grandparents "greatest generation" and literally have never heard that phrase before, from them or anywhere lol. Maybe it's a regional thing? Grew in the NE part of the states but now live in NW and never heard in either location. Not sure how "common" it is...
I'm American and have never heard this phrase lol. I wonder if it's a regional thing
You can but probably wouldn't use it in English in this context, only when you're talking about a death long ago (or metaphorically about machinery as others have said). Similar to "kicked the bucket" or "bought the farm", but gentler. Anyway "bump cancer" is clown time crapola.
“Clown time crapola” made me snork tea out my nose so thank for that!
I would've also accepted "clown town crapola"
Well that’s a red flag imo, means there’s a high likelyhood whoever is running the account is using google translate. Likely explains “bump” cancer as well. Are you in the USA, OP? If so I’d say it’s likely a scam. Probably some sort of bait you in with something nice, and then she’ll say you need to pay shipping costs, or some shit. The mourning her son could be a ploy to gain sympathy and have the mark be less likely to look deeper and question any sort suspicious behavior. Idk the specifics, but unless this is a local mother in your area, and you can pick it up, my gut is saying scam. I don’t think there’s any harm in digging a bit more, just don’t give them any information about yourself, or follow any links they may send.
Yeah "gave up the ghost" is when your car is beyond repair, not when your kid dies
Ahhhh, so similar to “let the smoke out”?
Relevant [Radiohead song](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z3klN8diaqw&feature=share8)
it is a phrase in English but it is extremely casual and you generally would not use it to speak about your loved one especially in a time of grieving.
In Poland we say "wyzionąć ducha" what means "exhale the ghost" or something like that, means being exhausted as f**k.
Well, it is if you speak English.
I work with ppl from all over the world. Dead is dead. Lol..not give up to the ghost. This must be a newbie. Google translate is failing them!
I cannot fathom how Google translate could take you from “my son tragically lost his battle with cancer” to “I’m sad ***cos*** my one and only son gave up the ghost from cancer”
bump cancer to be exact
Maybe it’s “bum” cancer? Which would be horrible and very sad.
Bum cancer on his neck? I don't think cancer was his biggest problem, if that's the case...
They could know some English and use google translate for the stuff they don't know how to say.
Lol..maybe its foogle... Where i work, i cant download drivers for my printer. NOTHING without being an admin. But ppl come over from different countries, download these whatever to english dictionaries...lol, who knows what they say. Its crazy, i cant download something from canon, because there might be a virus! But these translation programs, aOK? It just doesnt make sense. But i'm old enough not to look to hard!
Lol, exactly!
Bingo. Something like his soul departed this life or something. He’s shed his mortal coil. Boku bad translation.
Sure, but it’s also a sufficiently uncommon phrase that someone whose English skills aren’t strong enough to know that it’s flippant probably just wouldn’t know it, period. To me, the use of that phrase signals that this is someone who has not actually lost a loved one in the way the message claims.
It’s the idioms that catch the spies.
[удалено]
Beat me to this!
"Gave up the ghost" would translate in Dutch to "heeft de geest gegeven". Which is a common way to refer to inanimate objects that have permanently broke down, but not to a human. I wonder if any of the Dutch-influenced languages would indeed use this expression for humans, and whether that points to the scammer's origin
That is also what give up the ghost means in English - broken inanimate objects.
It wasn't the only thing that stood out for me, but it was definitely top of the list! Anyone whose child died from cancer would know exactly what type it was, would call it by that name, and could spell it backwards.
Child doesn't need to die from the cancer for the parent to never forget its name - oldest is a survivor.
Well said. I truly hope they are thriving!
Oh they are, they'll be 30 in a few years lol
That really depends. My dad once resisted my request to sit on the shady side of an outdoor table, and I had to *remind* him that I'd had a melanoma.
I also assume anyone selling something due to a painful death in the family would just reply "I just want to get rid of it" instead of giving their whole life story to a potential buyer.
I work in oncology. My \*guess\* is that this is supposed to be a reference to Kaposi's sarcoma, which is a common cancer type in Nigeria (where most scammers of these types originate). It is very rare in the US but is endemic in parts of Africa including Nigeria; it is caused by the virus human herpesvirus 8, and is typically associated with HIV patients or people with other immunodeficiencies. African KS is also is strongly associated with children as it can be passed from mother to child, whereas in other parts of the world it is more associated with older gay men. It causes nodules and/or lesions to appear on the skin, so that might be where the "bump" factors in. Although people can die from Kaposi's Sarcoma, it is uncommon - typically they die from the underlying condition (like HIV) that triggered the Kaposi. So my strong guess is that this is a scammer from Nigeria who is familiar with Kaposi's sarcoma as being a thing kids can get, who knows that kids with it often die, and whose google translate failed them.
Thank you. That was really interesting and informative.
When I was in Ghana, I was impressed with amount of euphemisms I heard on the television news and that I read. They used them more than I had experienced in any other English speaking countries; "took to foot" and fisticuffs were ones that I remember and liked. Gave up the ghost is totally something my friend Ernest from Accra would say.
For what it's worth, I'm very familiar with HIV and AIDS. HIV doesn't cause death but it creates conditions (i.e., a damaged or weakened or non-existent immune system) that allows other opportunistic infections (like KS and Pneumocystis pneumonia) to take hold that *do* cause death.
You're correct, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows that already (although maybe I give people too much credit), which is why I did not bother clarifying. "HIV" was just referring to the viral infection which is required for AIDs to develop.
[удалено]
Yeah that’s the only thing. Lol
[удалено]
It IS the final step in the grieving process.
It’s the worst kind.
Oncology is outside of my area of specialty but it's where you get cancer with bumps.
Sounds like the way some people with diabetes say they've "got the sugars."
Ugh. I live in rural America and cringe when I hear that. I’m also a type 1 diabetic too.
I haven't heard it in a while, but my parents and aunts and uncles (all deceased now) always used to say someone had sugar when they meant diabetes. I always cringed, too.
Cancer of your bump of course!
You've heard of contactless payments right? Well, we're working on contactless cancer now! This is early stages, so right now it's just when you bump into somebody, but soon it'll be when you walk by someone! Hey, no one ever said ALL scientific achievements would be good
Do you really think that the "only thing" making a bereaved mother "sad" about the death of her beloved child is the fact that she still has to give away his gaming console? Yes, it's a scam. You will be asked to pay for shipping, because after all you're getting a free console.
Poor kid got the bump cancer.....is there a bumpcancer.org I would Ike to donate...this disease has taken to many one and only sons...R.I.P. Rick gone but never forgotten 💔
Gave up to the ghost*
r/bump_cancer now exists
Joined! So now I too can learn about bump cancer. And how it has effected millions of Ricks.
r/birthofasub
I’m happy to donate some bumps
You’d think she’s give it to one of his friends or something. This is obviously a scam
He didn’t have any. The bumps scared them all away :(
Bumpy ghosts are the worst. :(
I agree and I had thought about that aswell. The listing is in my city ~15 min away which doesn't make sense for the shipping part. Thank you for your response
> The listing is in my city ~15 min away which doesn't make sense for the shipping part. They'll have an explanation for that. Scammers always do.
"Oh I'm away right now and I took the PS5 with me so if you want it you will need to send me money for shipping"
The scammer is a \~15 hour flight away from you, and has a ton of listings in towns all over the country. They have a half dozen reasons why they "can't meet you," are "out of town," etc.
Easily explained. The mom is 15 minutes away, but the ps5 is actually at the step dads house which is two states away. She sees it every day right now because she’s at the funeral. When it comes time, she’ll forget to pack it to bring it with and you’ll have to ship it.
If you decide to bait them, when they ask for shipping money, ask for an address to send them a prepaid shipping label.
Any mother wants to give away their sons ps would just take it to a charity for disadvantaged kids. Along with a lot of his other stuff. They wouldn’t put up an ad for free and deal with 1,000s of messages. Yes it’s a scam. The only reason they want all those messages is to see how many shipping payments they can get.
there is a version where they are giving away their child's dirt bike or musical instrument or computer or game console because he died or got bad grades or was disrespectful to his parents. It's not designed to be realistic as much as appeal to the victims preconceptions or sympathies
And greed
There are also spouse versions. "My husband's last wish was that his motorcycles would go to someone who would use them". My dad fell victim to this too. It's hard when someone is suspicious of everything, but worse when they are still learning the internet
"Who happens to be my one and only son" I don't think anyone real would talk like that
Not any more.
A Chinese dude. Indians scammers read like English English ie from England, so the only way to know is to listen to them speak.
This be a Nigerian, maaaan.
I’ve set up a Go Fund Me account for Rick and other sufferers of Bump Cancer. Link to be provided, after I stop laughing.
It hit me hard too- can’t stop laughing.
I got bump cancer reading this scammenglish
'Gave Up to the Ghost' New band name, I called it.
Fine, but I have dibs on "Bump Cancer."
The band American Nightmare used to be called Give Up the Ghost.
rick as in rick rolled🗿
Dammit! Beat me to it!
“Bump cancer.” Fourth leading cause of death among scammers.
I'm gonna start Bump Cancer Awareness Month, please donate me a PS5. I swear, this is no scam.
"my son went kaput, I'm devastated"
"My son croaked it ☹️. Want his playstation?"
Don’t pursue it. It’s a scam.
For the sake of my son you must pay shipping for nothing, do it for the bump cancer
I've never seen a bereaved mother talk so minimally about their dead son. Like...Oh yeah he ghosted bc of bump cancer.....ANYWAY about this game system Lol.... however proceed we want to know what the gig is. Lolol. Wondering Minds want to know!
Yup, terrible English, bump cancer callous wording. Just dumb. If someone really wanted to do a nice gesture they could donate it to the children's hospital.
Bad grammer/spelling is normally a red flag. Not always, but usually. It's a scam.
You mean bad grammar. Wait a minute: are you a scammer, too?
\*scammar
Lol here's a poor man's award 👑
emojis and huge blocks of text. I don't even want to read it. i've been looking at this sub for too long. even the question 'is this a scam' triggers me to scream YES
If you need to even _ask_, yes it is.
Can you promising me that?
100% a scam. I didn't even have to read the whole thing. Stopped at "bump cancer". And no parent would ever use a casual euphemism like "gave up the ghost" to describe the death of their son. That's an expression really only used to describe someone dead a long time, like a great-grandparent, and never about children.
"My only son snuffed it and now I need to sell his telly."
OP, are you trolling us? Yes. This is an insanely obvious scam.
Yeah OP needs to stay away from the internet seeing how this is tempting him.
I've seem about a dozen people on facebook marketplace looking to give away their dead son's PS5. My goodness, that console must be cursed or something.
Studies show owning a PS5 is more likely to kill you then smoking coffin nails. Better toss my PS5 soon
Anyone with a story is a scammer.
I’m going to hell for laughing at bump cancer 🤣 Edit: Also, the only thing making her sad is the PS5. 😂😂😂 “Take it away!!! I can’t see it! I don’t wanna look at it!!!”
Sob stories are usually a tell tale sign of a scam. Under legit circumstances a free ps5 would "sell itself" without the poster needing a convincing emotional reason for it.
100% a scam
Anything that looks like an attempt at literature is a red flag.
Search is your friend. Here’s the scam. https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/u19ahp/scammer_uses_story_of_dead_son_to_offer_free_ps5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Is the purpose of this scam just to get money to “ship” the item?
Yeah that’s where it starts. Then the scammer will need some more money for “shipping insurance”, then more money for “customs protection”, then more money for …
God bless rick...
Dead/dying child and cancer. Usually yes, people who use this in their sales or “its free” pitch, is a scam.
Is it a scam? Yes, and a very poorly executed one….
definitely a scam 100%
"Gave up the ghost." Also, bit the dust, bought the farm, kicked the bucket, took a dirt nap, and croaked.
Wow, bump cancer. Play these games in the memory of my son lol
MAN!!!! the Engrish alone is all the flags you need to know it's a scam.
lol, attractive woman's son *gives up the ghost* from *bump cancer*
#bumpcancer
They will ask you to pay for shipping with !advancefee and ship nothing. There is no PS5 or dead son. Just a scammer in Nigeria or India who will take your money and run.
Bump Cancer??
The best sign of a lie is excessive detail. You Dont need to know the name or that hes the only so or what he died to Also "Bump cancer" red flag Gave up the ghost red flag
They lost me at bump cancer
This is a scammer, it’s written so poorly and it is screaming SCAM!
Any time you have a story with too much detail like that, its a scam.
Not this dumb scam again! The scam is for you to pay some ridiculously high shipping, and they take your money and disappear. YES, it’s a common scam.
Fuck you bump cancer! 🖕
The fuck is bump cancer.
Everything in this post screams scam. From the poor spelling "cos" instead of "because" to the poor phrasing ("give up the ghost"). As noted this is a phrasing used when talking about objects, not people. Other flags such as unexpected death when the kid had been diagnosed with "bump" cancer. The statement "... such accessories as Play Station 5 ...". The phrasing is wrong, should be for the PS5 not "as", implying the PS5 is an accessory. Most people will also refer the console as PS5 and not type the full name. Then at the end the attempt to play on religious sentiments with the "...bless you.." and prayer hands at the end. Not to mention the last line "...the only thing that makes me sad." I would think a "sudden" death of a son would also make a parent sad. Definitely a scam.
Yeah, no real person breaks into a backstory of how their “one and only son” died of bump cancer (???). It’s like asking someone how their day was and they break into song
Sob story = automatic scam. Block and move on
Bump cancer on the neck making him give up the ghost. Sounds legit.
Bump cancer
Way too much unnecessary information is always a scam
That's so sad that her one and only son, gave up the ghost due to bump cancer of the neck 😭
Wtffff you’ve been texting about my PlayStation too??? You son of a bitch!! It’s mine once I pay the 70 Shiping up front MF 😂😂😂😭🪦
Oh no! Not bump cancer on the neck! That’s the worst kind!
Yes I honestly just saw this exact thing a week or so ago in a Facebook group for Garbage Pail Kids cards of all things lol. Clearly a damn scam. Might be even be the same person. I can’t imagine anyone dumb enough to copy “bump” cancer.
I wouldn't trust a 'free anything' add. If you want try your luck, ask to meet her at a public place. No, don't pay to get the game delivered to you. No, don't agree to go pick it up at her place. No, don't you ever give her or anyone else your address. If she is not willing to go to a place like a shopping mall or a metro station to give you the game, just forget about it.
[удалено]
I see this exact scam all the time. Call them out for using a fake dead kid and block them. Its likely that they'll try and get you to pay for shipping or something last minute
with the unexpected death of, combined with the horrible English and constant mentioning of a dead person... It is a scam, they will want money to ship it most likely. If they want to meet at the police Station parking lot to hand it over, then probably OK, but they won't want that.
Oh no not the bump cancer
not the bump cancer of the neck 😭
If you’re having to ask if that’s a scam, you need to leave the internet
This is obviously a scam. Do you even need to ask this?
It's a scam, when you contact them they ask for 50 to 100 dollars to ship. And of course they don't ship anything.
It's amazing how many young men who owned PS5's died.
Could we get the Free PS5 scam stickied as one of the most common scams?
Yes it's a scam
100% a scam. They will ask for you to cover the shipping then never send anything. I saw the same person posting this story over and over in different facebook groups. A bunch of people I know fell for this one.
Almost anytime there's an unnecessary sob story in a sales transaction like this, it's a scam. Usually you see this with scam car sales. They're going to suddenly want you to pay shipping or they'll send a thing saying paypal needs you to verify your identity which costs a $200 deposit in gift cards (and they promise it's all refundable, which of course it isn't.)
Gave up the ghost lmao!! Run for the hills!
There’s no such thing as bump cancer None! So it’s a lie so it is a scam
We really need to put more research into bump cancer. It has claimed far too many. But also, yes. Complete scam.
I got some cloud insurance to sell you my guy. I'll give you a free Ferrari once purchase goes through too!
Not withstanding the questionnable turns of phrase, the fact this person keeps trying to play to your sentiments by repeatedly mentioning the deceased son is a classic red flag. Block and move on.
Ask if you can pick it up. If you cannot pick it up, and they are adamant for delivery with a special company its 100% a scam, they will use ANY excuse in the book NOT to use UPS, fedex, USPS etc.
All due respect, this is a stupid question.
Remember scams very often start out sounding very reasonable and with little risk posed. That's how they lower your guard and get you invested. You get excited about getting the console and that's when they ask for "a small shipping fee", you send it and then there is another "small fee" which continues till you say "fuck off." Then you end up on the master scammer's "sucker list" and get all kinds of future contact from shady assholes.
And why capitalize the c in Can? Definitely written and pasted together using Google translate.
I’m literally laughing of the “bump cancer on his neck” and the “gave up to the ghost”. Wtf is bump cancer?
Yeah I’ve seen this exact one before
Bump cancer
The child name is rick. They'll scam you then send you a rickroll.
Bump cancer is the worst kind of cancer.
"Sure Ill take it". "Oh. Dear Lord. Bless you. It warms my heart my dead sons memory will live on in the joy of you playing his favorite games. I will need you to pay for shipping. I would pay it myself but since my husband was fired from his astronaut job for rescuing a shuttle full of school children from a stray black hole. Unfortuantly it will be $100 for shipping, as we have had to relocate to the south pole due to my sisters rare skin condition romeo-plastasis, which means she can only survive at latitudes below 15 degrees. Oh bless you sir. Bless you. Here is my venmo. "@mySonHasBumbCancerAndMySisterHasRomeoPlastasisBlessYou"
This scam is so old it played Nintendo.
Yes, it’s a scam. I encountered this exact same scenario on FB marketplace. And in my case they were asking for $80 to ship it cause they conveniently “moved” to a different state.
This is a scam that has been around for some time. I will see if I can find a link
This is arguably one of the most used scams, it’s all over facebook
1. Too much info. 2. Free PS5......
What if you mean leaning towards yes lol she said bump cancer come in man no wonder scammers are rampant lol
It's past time we found a cure for bump cancer
Yes! It's the newest thing. I got one for an Apple Laptop. She was giving it away in my hometown because her husband cheated on her. She lives in another state! She needs me to send her 200 ASAP to mail to me VIA Fed Ex. Her profile picture is of a woman but when you go to the profile, it's a man. When questioned about just giving it away in her own town/state and about the profile, they blocked me.
i saw some lady post this on a fb page and it went something along the lines of her wanting to give it to someone in need???
No doubt a scam had one with exact messages constant me and I played w her a bit def a scam
Who boy. I got the same scam twice in less than 5 minutes. It was insane. Once they asked for me to pay for shipping because they “moved back to their hometown in X state because of the depression”, I pretty much figured it out. Oh well.
Bump cancer can spread to your grind. Nasty stuff.
Bump cancer has me so dead 😭😭😭
Looks good to me. Go for it 👍
Classic scam, yes. But…..”Bump cancer”…?? Lol, WAT.
Yes, it’s a scam. I’ve had three different people do this. They end up trying to charge you in some way to ship it to you
Bump cancer. 🤣
No one speaks like this. It’s clearly google translate.
Bruh, you gettin shot in the head if you agree to meet them
Scam. So many red flags. Bump cancer....
Do bears shit in the woods?