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Not everyone is who they seem to be. Someone confident, cunning, and well-versed in psychology has a pretty good chance of successfully impersonating others. And some folks only notice the con only when it’s far too late. That’s where the massively popular ‘Act Like You Belong’ subreddit comes in.
It’s an online community that documents some of the most egregious and hilarious times when people pretended to be someone else, whether to steal, cheat, sneak into a high-profile event, or... just for the heck of it. Scroll down to see why first impressions can sometimes be wrong—even if you spot a uniform and a badge!
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#1
Statue Cleaning
#2
The Illusionist
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 11 months ago
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black.
#3
To Be Flamingo
“Swindling is really acting, and you play a character who will help you appear legitimate, confident, and successful… even when you are not,” one former con artist told Reader’s Digest.
A lot of con artists rely on the so-called halo effect to reach their nefarious goals. To put it simply, the halo effect means that our overall impression of an individual heavily impacts what we think about their character. So somebody who is beautiful, kind, or social can be seen as good, likable, and intelligent… even if they aren’t. A person who’s out to trick and cheat their way through society can use this to their advantage.
#4
Dedicated “Employee”
#5
Guerrilla Street Safety
Lavender Myst 11 months ago (edited)
Prolly made the street safer as people need to slow down and watch for crossers now. .....edited: for typos
#6
The Shame
Natalie Bohrteller 11 months ago
As a 30 year old I would have purposefully misunderstood and seen how they reacted.
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SuperChicken 11 months ago
Awwh, poor you. Regardless, the lady should've given you an ice cream.
Some Weirdo 11 months ago
I’d still be like, uh, I was promised ice cream. Don’t deny me this.
Rabbi In The House 11 months ago
I actually think that's a very sweet (no pun intended) story. I hope that family was kind and good humored (again NPI) and that this brought them a smile at future family gatherings ♥️
Ballet Nerd 11 months ago
that happened to me, when I was little and the parents would look at me as if I was a total wirdo.
Joshua David 11 months ago
I have plenty of these. In 6th grade I joined track and field and for practice we were supposed to change in the locker room that was in use from the seniors (500 population town) and the coach was wrapping up PE class, came in and said HIT THE SHOWERS! Clearly I'm not I'm senior PE but I just stripped down and went to the shower room. Every senior laughed at me. I'm now 45 and I think of this 3x per week in shame lol.
Dan Flo 11 months ago
I heard a similar story today about a couple visiting a big restaurant for a christmast buffé. They went up to the top floor and saw a tray of champagne glasses, thought "oh what a fancy buffé", grabbed a glass each and started drinking. Then a man came and asked them how they knew the bride and groom... and they realized the top floor was booked for a wedding dinner. The buffé was on the lower floor.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 11 months ago
There's an episode of Roseanne where Roseanne and Dan are out to a nice restaurant, and have been waiting forever for a table, so they crash the Bar Mitzvah. It was a fun episode.
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Riley Quinn 11 months ago
I've found myself in similar situations because I can be an oblivious dolt sometimes. I ended up at a wedding reception of strangers because I went into the wrong room. Had a blast. Everyone was cool, thought it was funny.
Your physical appearance is a core part of the halo effect and looking the part has a massive on how people perceive you. Someone who is well-groomed, stylishly dressed (or dressed to suit the part they’re playing), and moves and talks with deep confidence is going to give off the impression that they’re (more) reliable.
Building a false sense of trust is essential for con artists. Without it, they have nothing.
#7
It Would Probably Work Too
#8
Slpt: How To Become A Millionaire
PFD 11 months ago
So, not exactly "made up random bills" but an organised fraud involving phishing, identity theft, fake companies set up in the name of real ones etc. The extent of his personal involvement is unclear: he claimed he was only a minor player in the fraud ring, the US prosecutors said he was ringleader. But either way it wasn't some fun Robin Hood thing, just regular crime. And almost all the money was quickly recovered, so it wasn't even very successful. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/lithuanian-man-sentenced-5-years-prison-theft-over-120-million-fraudulent-business
#9
Woman Pretends To Be An Extra For The Matrix 4 Filming (Comment On Trailer)
The tagline of the r/ActLikeYouBelong subreddit is that “there is no need for clearance when you have confidence!” And, generally, this speaks volumes about how real life works.
First impressions certainly do matter. So when we see someone striding with charisma, possibly with a wide smile or looking super serious, we tend to assume that they belong wherever we are, too.
#10
Slpt: Pretend Everyday Is Your First Day
#11
An Identity Thief Stole The Identity Of A Surgeon And While Aboard A Navy Destroyer Was Tasked With Performing Several Life Saving Surgeries
He proceeded to memorize a medical textbook just before hand and all the patients survived.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 11 months ago (edited)
His name was Ferdinand Waldo Demara, and not ony did he impersonate a navy surgeon and successfully operated on a wounded serviceman from a bullet near the heart. He also impersonated an assistant prison warden and created several reforms that greatly benefited the behavior of convicts. His job at the prison was so impressive that the warden immediatley said that he would rehire Demara if he applied again under his own name. After being caught, he impersonated a monk, founded a chartered college and when questioned about forged checks he faked suicide to get another identity. Then he impersonated a doctor of applied psychology, taught several years at a university and published a booklet on parenting. Later, when impersonating the navy surgeon, his story became so notorious that the authorities discovered him while investigating to give a commendation for heroism. Before that, he had also impersonated a hospital orderly, a civil engineer and a lawyer. When asked for his motivation, he said "Rascality, pure rascality".
#12
Rockstar
Many of us simply don’t consider that someone might be impersonating another person or worker. We meet so many strangers every single day at work, in cafes, and on the streets.
It would be absolutely exhausting to consider whether everyone is pretending or has ulterior motives. If you’re constantly worrying that someone’s out to get you or con you, you probably won’t get anything done all day.
#13
Atta, Boy!
#14
Panda Caretakers In China
#15
Someone Pretended To Be Tom Cruise In A Small Chicken Shop In North Eastern Thailand And Is Remembered There Forever
It’s not like most of us are top-tier body language experts. While most of us can pick up on some overt clues that someone might not be telling the truth, if someone’s an experienced liar, they’ll be able to hide some of their red flags.
On top of that, when we see a person in a uniform, with a badge, handling a clipboard, we assume that they’re someone of some importance. Why would we not, unless they’re sweating profusely, tripping over themselves, and acting incredibly shifty?
#16
Look Busy And Leave
Mimi La Souris 11 months ago
I call these people "chair heaters". how can you get a job without having to do a job ?
#17
The King Of Acting Like You Belong
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 11 months ago
By far the weirdest James Bond movie this side of Casino Royale. The original with Peter Sellers and David Niven not the new one. In Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond is MARRIED! Only time ever on film.
#18
This Is FBI Agent Robert Hanssen
He was tasked to find a mole within the FBI after the FBI's moles in the KGB were caught. Robert Hanssen was the mole and had been working with the KGB since 1979.
The r/ActLikeYouBelong online community has its roots in early 2015. In the years since being founded, the subreddit has grown to have 647k members. The popularity of the group mostly has to do with how incredibly unbelievable most of the stories they post about sound.
And yet, real life is often stranger than fiction. Cons, fraud, and lies—they’re an inseparable part of life. Unfortunately.
#19
When The Doctors Came To Check, Shi Pei Pu Would Tuck His Genitals Inside His Body To Fool Them
#20
Trying To Blend In
Viktoria Tatarek 11 months ago
John French? He must be French for sure. Whats the point of this post?
#21
Because There’s No Actual Laws About What A Press Badge Is, I Use This Spider-Man 2002 Promo Badge To Gain Access To Shoot Pics
Tucker Cahooter 11 months ago
Reminds me of one of the Three Stooges movies. They nick the labels off fixtures and flash them as credentials when challenged. Moe: "Press!" Larry "Press!" Curly: "Pull!"
The moderators running the subreddit have some strict rules that everyone needs to follow. Despite the fact that the group is all about people pretending like they belong somewhere where they don’t, nobody should be impersonating the mods themselves. This is very frowned upon.
Moreover, the members of r/ActLikeYouBelong are asked to be very careful about posting any identifying information about themselves or other people. And remember to flair your post! If you don’t, it might end up getting removed.
#22
This Is Dion Rich The World's Greatest Gate Crasher. He Snuck Into 35 Super Bowls, The World Series, The Oscars, The Olympics And More
#23
Student Had Been Lecturing At A University
#24
Act Like A Florida Man
Reader’s Digest points out that con artists tend to target the most vulnerable people. It does not mean that you’re dumb, simply that you’re down on your luck. For instance, someone who’s dealing with a hard situation at work or in their personal lives is ripe for being taken advantage of.
The more emotionally and financially vulnerable someone is, the more naive and trusting they are, the more they’ll appeal to fraudsters hoping to earn a quick buck.
#25
29-Year-Old Scientist Enrolled In High School And Pretended To Be A Teenager Because She Was Lonely And “Wanted To Return To A Place Of Safety”
#26
Man Convinces Convenience Store Clerk He's There To Take Over
#27
How To Hack A Bus Stop Advertising Space
Con artists try to get you talking as much as possible to weasel out important information. They can then use it to deepen their connection with you. Others copy your body language to create a sense that there’s a bond between you. Hustlers also refer to you by name and can even pretend to know you.
The general rule of thumb is that if someone offers you a deal that you feel is too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your gut, don't get greedy.
#28
A Bridge Too Far
Stardust she/her 11 months ago
Of course it has to be in Bihar. No other place is as crazy as north India
#29
Mexican Man Tries To Illegally Enter The Us By Disguising Himself As A Car Seat
#30
A True Wikipedia Scholar
Have you ever caught anyone pretending to be someone else, dear Pandas? Have you ever been targetted by swindlers, con artists, or scammers? Which of the posts, as featured on r/ActLikeYouBelong, did you find the most amusing? We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to scroll down to the comment section to share your thoughts. And remember… just because someone’s supremely confident doesn’t always mean they’re fully trustworthy.
In the meantime, for some more people who like pretending like they belong somewhere they should be, take a look through Bored Panda's earlier feature.
#31
That Time A Random Dude Became A Tsar Of Montenegro
#32
Spotted In The UK
#33
College Student
#34
Guy Got A Job At A Food Kiosk And Ran Off To Watch The Football Match Where The Kiosk Was. Legend!
#35
Seats In A Swedish Train
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Tucker Cahooter 11 months ago
Frank Abagnale ("Catch Me If You Can") made a whole career out of doing this
Eric Sandoval 11 months ago
He didn't, really. He lied about almost everything in his book/the movie. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale
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CORGI QUEEN 11 months ago
"I'm a baddie, ba-ba-baddie, baddie Pretty little risky baddie, catch me if you can" BADDIE by IVE fits well here
The Original Bruno 11 months ago
We're not going to mention they guy who got into the Oval Office to congratulate nine consecutive presidents? Or Margaret Murray, whose fraudulent studies on folklore led to the invention of a religion (Wicca)?
madbakes 11 months ago
If you had to give a percentage, how much of an idiot are you? I'm thinking at least 90%
Load More Replies... Tucker Cahooter 11 months ago
Frank Abagnale ("Catch Me If You Can") made a whole career out of doing this
Eric Sandoval 11 months ago
He didn't, really. He lied about almost everything in his book/the movie. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale
Load More Replies... CORGI QUEEN 11 months ago
"I'm a baddie, ba-ba-baddie, baddie Pretty little risky baddie, catch me if you can" BADDIE by IVE fits well here
The Original Bruno 11 months ago
We're not going to mention they guy who got into the Oval Office to congratulate nine consecutive presidents? Or Margaret Murray, whose fraudulent studies on folklore led to the invention of a religion (Wicca)?
madbakes 11 months ago
If you had to give a percentage, how much of an idiot are you? I'm thinking at least 90%
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