I was at Target today when a random guy complimented my outfit. He then started talking about his investments and asked if I needed a financial advisor. He was really pushy, and it felt a little odd. Has anyone else had an encounter like this? I’m wondering if this was a scam or just a strange coincidence.
Was he a salesperson?
Landry said:
Was he a salesperson?
No, just some random guy. He was talking about how his investments will let him retire at 31 and wanted to connect me with a financial advisor. It felt kind of sketchy, honestly.
@Shiloh
Yeah, that sounds like a scam.
@Shiloh
Back in the day, I’d think of Amway. Not sure what the latest version is, though.
Corey said:
@Shiloh
Back in the day, I’d think of Amway. Not sure what the latest version is, though.
Amway still exists, believe it or not.
Corey said:
@Shiloh
Back in the day, I’d think of Amway. Not sure what the latest version is, though.
Could be Primerica. It’s an insurance MLM.
@Shiloh
Sounds like he was probably in his mid-20s. Just tell him to go away.
He was probably trying to sell whole life insurance. A lot of companies like that are MLM-adjacent, pushing their new hires to find clients.
Sounds like your typical Primerica fan.
At Target?
Adley said:
At Target?
Yeah, that’s where all the big money folks go to share their best investment tips.
Not exactly. Breaking the ice with a random compliment is a classic sales tactic. The closest I’ve had was when I was in an Uber and the driver started talking about investments. He was into day trading and didn’t seem to be doing too well. I got the feeling he was following the wrong ‘finfluencers’ and it was only making things worse for him. I tried to steer him toward more reliable advice, but there’s only so much you can do for a random stranger. I keep it simple with index funds, but that’s less exciting to someone hoping to get rich quickly.
So this stranger at Target knows the secret to wealth? All because he liked your outfit? Yeah, this sounds like a scam. If he was truly successful, he wouldn’t be bothering strangers in Target on a Monday night. It’s not about your investments, it’s about selling you something.
I heard something similar in a local forum last year. Turns out it was a pyramid scheme. They were approaching people in Target and Walmart, trying to get them to become ‘side hustle millionaires.’
Could also be Scamway.
Twenty years ago, people would stop you trying to sell you real estate schemes because of those late-night ads about real estate being the way to wealth. Now it’s all about selling wealth advice. Social media is full of these schemes. Don’t worry too much about it. Tomorrow, it’ll probably be some new fad trying to pull you into a service agreement. Remember timeshares? That was a big thing too for years.
No, I only wore a suit on Sundays.
I’ve had the same guy approach me at three different stores over two years. Always the same line about something I’m wearing. Definitely some kind of MLM scam.
I have a timeshare for a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. I can set you up with a great deal, especially now that congestion pricing is back.