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“All’s fair in love and marketing,” for that’s where the world has come to today as the business of foolery is in complete bloom. What’s more surprising is the high amount of people who blindly fall prey to these deceptive industries, and at times, don’t even realize that they’ve been fooled.

There are a few enlightened people, however, who know that the glamour these industries portray is just a facade and gushed to answer the question, “What industries are built on intentionally misleading people?” Some of them, you might be aware of, while some might shock you. Just scroll down and check them out for yourself!

More info: Reddit

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    #2

    Open book with red rosary, symbolizing industries built on fooling people. Religion.

    Prahlis , Pixabay Report

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    WindySwede
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This should be top 3! Especially if they ask for money or makes you hate other, or look down upon non-believers or the "wrong" believes even if within same religion.

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    #3

    Herbalife products displayed with branded mugs, representing controversial industries. MLM’s- Amway, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Monat, Herbalife etc. If anyone approaches you and says they have a great business opportunity for you: RUN.

    prosperosniece , Eduardo Francisco Vazquez Murillo Report

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    Hmmm hmmmm
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Haha yeah those scammers. Anyone , I have a huge cone shaped business opportunity for you. Just pay me 100,000 pounds for your first shipment of my amazing new product and then sell it to your friends and family. Make sure to apply the tithe paid to me on all your sales

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    As you go through the list, you will realize that most of these industries are making millions by mooching off of people's oblivion or even greed. It definitely makes you wonder why some folk still get deceived by them even after being aware of their real intentions.

    Well, to get a deeper insight into the human psyche when it comes to these deceptive businesses, Bored Panda got in touch with Eden Lobo, a counselor and psychology professor. She said that when people invest time, money, or emotional energy into a brand, they may experience cognitive dissonance when confronted with evidence of being misled.

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    "To reduce this discomfort, they may rationalize their continued trust in the brand by downplaying the misleading behavior or convincing themselves it was a one-time occurrence," she added.

    #4

    Shiny diamonds scattered on a dark surface, representing industries built on fooling people. Diamonds.

    cyclejones Report

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    Nizumi
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Diamonds aren't rare. The De Beers corporation has a monopoly on the diamond industry. They control the mining, certification, marketing, market prices, everything. There are at least a dozen other gems more rare and valuable than diamonds. The information is easy to find.

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    #5

    Green smoothie in a glass with clover garnish on a sunlit wooden table, representing industries built on deception. Those detox drinks. You have your liver and kidney(s).

    MihalyDumitruShilage Report

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    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For sure. Sometimes it feels good to drink some smoothie, but if you can, make it yourself, The premade ones are full of sugar. (or corn-syyrup in USA).

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    #6

    Plastic waste pile, highlighting industries built on fooling people with unsustainable practices. Plastics. They are not nearly as recyclable as the industry wants you to think, and they cause immense damage to our natural world as well as both known and unknown harm to human health.

    ataraxia77 , Magda Ehlers Report

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    Geoffrey Scott
    Community Member
    3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds dumb, but I have contacted manufacturers of my most used products demanding they use either #1or 2 packaging. If they are gonna use it, at LEAST use something you don't have to discard. Got a couple positive feedbacks and vows to change, and they did, eventually.

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    We also spoke to our expert about the psychological principles that are most commonly exploited by industries to mislead people. She noted that these principles often target cognitive biases, emotional responses, and decision-making processes.

    Prof. Lobo explained, "The scarcity principle is one such trick, as people perceive scarce or limited resources as being more valuable. Another one would be social proof when herd mentality takes over and people tend to follow the behavior of others, especially in uncertain situations."

    Another aspect she stressed was the fear of missing out, aka, FOMO, as people fear losing opportunities or experiences others are enjoying. She elaborated that industries use language like "trending now" or showcase users seemingly living better lives through their products, creating pressure to conform and buy in.

    #7

    Toilet bowl with colorful cleaning rings attached, emphasizing industries built on fooling people. Flushable Wipes.
    No.
    No they are not flushable.
    Stop it.
    Plumbers and city sewer workers despise these things.

    Gems789 , Kaboompics.com Report

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    Funhog
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And, in septic systems, these "flushable" wipes will just float and accumulate on the surface of the wastewater inside the tank, which prevents the thriving of necessary bacteria that are required for decomposition.

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    #8

    Person, wearing a towel on their head, applying skincare in a bathroom, reflecting on industries built on fooling people. “The beauty industry – ‘This cream will make you look 20 years younger!’ Spoiler: it won’t.”.

    dazzlingMoonnFlam25 , Ron Lach Report

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    WindySwede
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the cheep stuff was better than the expensive stuff. Nivea won in an smal trial here in Sweden. 8800eaec00...867c81.jpg 8800eaec006e5760cc0b063f68867c81.jpg

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    #9

    Hands exchanging dollar bills, representing industries built on fooling people. Payday loans.

    Pleasant_Scar9811 , Kaboompics.com Report

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    Elle Lian
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And how they target low-income neighborhoods. They are predatory at best. I took out a loan through a furniture company that offered payments for their furniture. I didn’t realize they financed through a payday loan company. I paid that sucker off as soon as I could! They required you to come in to make your payment and wouldn’t send any reminders of upcoming payments. They made it as difficult as possible to actually make a payment.

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    Prof. Lobo also explained how industries often use emotional triggers to influence consumer decisions because emotions are powerful drivers of behavior and can override logical reasoning.

    She mentioned that people want to fit in, be admired, or feel exclusive, so these businesses use people's desire for status or belonging to their benefit. Hope, as per her, is another emotion that appeals to aspirations for a better life, success, or happiness, that can be used to exploit people.

    "Some other emotions that these companies leverage are: nostalgia (evoking fond memories of the past creates positive associations), love (the need for emotional bonds is leveraged to sell products tied to relationships), self-doubt (highlighting perceived flaws pushes consumers to seek solutions), or curiosity (unanswered questions or teasers drive engagement)," Prof. Lobo added.

    #10

    A couple discussing financial documents with a consultant, illustrating industries known for misleading practices. The timeshare industry. It's highly predatory and they sell it as if you're getting this amazing deal that's an "investment" that you can pass to your kids. Everyone I know who has bought one has regretted it and they're almost impossible to sell.

    A911owner , RDNE Stock project Report

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    #11

    Hands using mortar and pestle, preparing herbs, symbolizing industries built on fooling people. Homeopathy.

    donkey_loves_dragons , Yan Krukau Report

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    Chich
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If it works so well I should be able to pay for it with some water I have soaked some money in. Still would have the 'essence' of $$, no?

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    #12

    Tarot reading session with cards on a wooden table, highlighting industries based on deception. Astrology, tarot cards, crystal healing and various other forms of woo.

    PuzzledFortune , Alina Vilchenko Report

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    Fire Singer
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one falls into the "religion" category for me in that if you want to believe it and it brings you comfort and strength to get through life then go for it. But, don't use it as a replacement for actual medicine, or basing all your relationships on whether your signs are compatible or not, things like that.

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    We also sought some help from Prof. Lobo to help recognize and resist misleading tactics. She claimed that it requires a combination of psychological awareness, critical thinking, and practical strategies. Here are a few tips that she emphasized:

    1. Cultivate emotional awareness: Misleading tactics often exploit emotions like fear, greed, or guilt. Recognizing when emotions are being manipulated can help you pause and reassess.
    2. Understand cognitive biases: Familiarity with biases (e.g., scarcity effect, or social proof) makes you less likely to fall for them.
    3. Slow down decision-making: Many misleading tactics rely on urgency to prevent thoughtful consideration.
    4. Ask critical questions: Scrutinizing claims reveals inconsistencies or missing details.
    5. Practice media literacy: Understanding how information is presented helps identify manipulative framing or exaggerations.

    Lastly, she concluded, "By understanding these and other psychological tools, people can develop greater resistance to misleading tactics and make more informed, deliberate decisions. Awareness and practice are key to becoming a savvy consumer."

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    #14

    Person receiving a back massage, representing industries built on fooling people, as per discussion thread. Chiropractors. "Adjusting" your spine does not prevent or cure disease. I have taken care of several patients in my career who have had strokes due to carotid or vertebral artery injuries from chiropractic "manipulation".

    getridofwires , Ryutaro Tsukata Report

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    Cathy Null
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When they invent a pill that aligns my vertebra, I'll stop going to my Chiropractor. There are patient deaths/injuries across every medical discipline. I'm sure that there are bad ones out there (as in any med field), but there are good ones as well.

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    #15

    Woman doing a plank on the beach, wearing athletic wear, highlighting fitness industry themes. Fitness. As someone with credentials in the industry, I can tell you it's a disgusting cesspool of misinformation and gurus/companies preying on the ignorant masses without any care for their health.

    Tempting78Babe , Nathan Cowley Report

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    Chich
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It can become an addiction. Had a GF who got into it. was OK at first but it got to the point where if you weren't sleeping or at work they why weren't you at the gym?

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    When you understand the psychology behind the deception, it really boggles your mind about how far these industries can go just to make money. Well, our expert definitely helped highlight how you can fight back.

    So, misleading industries, give me your best shot, I am sure I will be able to resist your deceptive punch this time around. What about you? Which industries in the list have fooled you before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

    #16

    Person using a calculator with cash and a notebook nearby, symbolizing industries built on deception. Unpopular opinion but in the last 5 years, some trades and pivoted away from How can we beat help our customers? to How can we extract the maximum amount of money for the least amount of lowest quality service... I am in the Garage door industry and I am watching some companies build literally mathematical models on how to extract the most money and what sales tactics drive it. HVAC and roofing have been it as well.

    Folks - for the love of God, try to get multiple quotes and focus on smaller local businesses.

    Firebolt164 , olia danilevich Report

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    Trista JW
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fvcking corporate buzzwords strike again. Trades have never "pivoted" in any direction, business owners change their minds about $h!t. And if you're beating your customers, you're sure as hell not helping anyone in any way. Not to mention the simple fact that no company has helped people, companies exist only so they can profit.

    Ace
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Last five years? Don't be so naive. Financial institutions have been engineered to screw the last penny out of people for centuries.

    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    16 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pricing isn’t what they teach you in school, which is figure out the cost and then add a small percentage for profit. First year biz school tells you to set price at the max people will pay for it.

    Uncle Schmickle
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Totally agree with this. Especially as the older Tradespeople retire and the younger generation take over, it's "money,money,money". I've been quoted silly money for work that's unnecessary. Fortunately I have enough sense and knowledge to KNOW the work IS unnecessary.

    Heras buddy
    Community Member
    3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always ask people if they know an honest say mechanic. I don't want the cheapest just the one who won't rip me off. Generally works out as the cheapest.

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    #17

    Glass bottles with plants, symbolizing industries built on fooling people, displayed on burlap with purple flowers in the background. Anything to do with essential oils, a 24 billion dollar industry based on lies.

    They smell good. That’s it.

    Resuscitate_Sanity , Mareefe Report

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    WindySwede
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tea Tree Oil though have scientifically shown to be antibacterial and anti fungal. Maybe not at 100% the same as made made stuff, but not just totally made up. https://youtu.be/jQXuBL2yfJ4?t=359

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    #18

    People around a roulette table in a casino, placing bets, linked to industries built on fooling people. Gambling.

    Most of the ‘health and beauty’ industry. Makeup is what it is and gyms do what they say on the tin it’s all the BS stuff in between that sells false promises: beauty treatments, supplements, weird exercise tools, diet plans, detox plans, weird programmes that try to weave astrology etc into health…. There’s a lot of stuff that’s at best useless and harmless but quite often useless and harmful.

    cewumu , Javon Swab Report

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    Elle Lian
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My siblings work at casinos. My sister is head of table games, working her way up after starting as a blackjack dealer. Even she can’t win when she goes to gamble at other casinos.

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    #19

    A woman holding keys with moving boxes in the background, highlighting the theme of deceptive industries. Rent to own stores. Aaron's, Renta Center.

    cymccorm , gpointstudio Report

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    Geoffrey Scott
    Community Member
    3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some folks need the furniture, appliances, etc and can not qualify for a store card. The prices charged are WAY outside reasonable, but they have no other choice until they can build credit up/back. See the need, hate it, but they DO serve a purpose.

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    #20

    Rolled US dollar bills representing industries built on deception. Finance.

    Source: I worked in finance for two years. It could be a lot easier to understand, but if it was you wouldn’t accept terms on their conditions.

    fearthe0cean , Pixabay Report

    #21

    White BMW car drifting on a dirt road under a clear blue sky, illustrating industries built on illusions. Ever seen a car advert? Almost always cars driving in the mountains or speeding through an empty traffic free city.

    bisikletci , Trace Constant Report

    #22

    A selection of eyeglasses displayed in a case, showcasing various styles and brands. (sun)glasses. No way a titanium wire and some glass cost the same as a new iPhone with its super high-res screen, incredible processors, crazy cameras, GPS, high speed networking, video and audio playback and on an on.

    sergedg , Francesco Paggiaro Report

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    Grant Caldwell
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also iphones and apple in general should be on this list. For how expensive they are they are super fragile and not as advanced as they claim.

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    #23

    Avocado, almonds, blueberries, and a sunny-side-up egg arranged on a white plate. Anyone selling Superfoods, total bs.

    shroooooomer , Jenna Hamra Report

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    keyboardtek
    Community Member
    3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some are real superfoods. The green powdered algae like Spirilina is 99% protein and is easily absorbed. When it was first discovered, it was touted as being the new protein that was going to end famines and feed the world. Then the health food corporations got control of it and priced it higher than gold. By contract beef is only 22-25% protein. Mostly fat and is hard to digest.

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    #24

    Person holding two burgers with lettuce, highlighting the food industry. Food commercials.

    RoseCinn , Pixabay Report

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    XanthippeⓐWulf🇨🇦️️🇬🇧
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is it though? I'm genuinely asking. Do you really go into [insert name of takeaway/fast food place] and believe that Joe behind the counter is a food artist making you a sexy hamburger for the handful of shillings he makes every day? I don't. I want my food to look tasty, but I don't expect it to be backlit with Def Leopard playing in the background when it's handed to me 🤭

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    #25

    Vintage yellow taxi parked on the street, representing industries built on fooling people. Before the ride-sharing apps like Uber, the taxi industry was pretty much a mafia.

    NY_Skater , Jake Heinemann Report

    #26

    Person in blue Adidas hoodie performing card tricks, suggesting deceptive foundations in certain industries. The magic industry! Where the hell did the bunny go? It was in the hat, and now it's gone!

    000-Luck , Kaique Rocha Report

    #28

    Smartphone with recycling symbol on mesh bag, hinting at industries founded on deception. Recycling.

    Connect-Pie-4681 , ready made Report

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    Nizumi
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We're told to separate our recyclables, then the city puts all these massive wheelie bins in front of everyone's houses, and everything gets tipped into one giant truck once a week. If anything in my city actually makes it to recycling, I'd be shocked.

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