Shark Tank mogul falls victim to scams over 100 times: ’It's getting out of control’
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In a world where the internet has become a central hub for commerce and communication, the dark side of online scams has also grown exponentially.
It's a reality that even the savviest of business minds are not immune to, as demonstrated by the startling experiment by Shark Tank Australia’s judge and marketing expert, Sabri Suby.
In a bold and eye-opening move, Suby allowed himself to be scammed over 100 times to uncover the depths of deceit in the digital age.
Like many Aussies, the 38-year-old digital marketing mogul was no stranger to the barrage of telemarketers and scam ads that flood social media feeds and email inboxes.
However, his curiosity led him to explore online scams and understand what enables them to thrive.
‘It's getting out of control. I (usually) have a little bit of fun with them, but this time, I decided just to go all the way and just see what rabbit holes of the internet would lead me down and what lengths people go through to scam people,' Suby said.
‘And I think that with everything going on with AI and Robocalling, all of that stuff will become more prevalent. So myself being a man of the people, I have put myself to the task.’
Suby's journey into the scam world was almost effortless, thanks to the algorithms of social media platforms.
‘The algorithms are very smart with basically you things once you click on one and you click on one scam. And that's it. You fall down a ferret hole of just constant never-ending ads for all types of scams, whether it's organic content or ads itself,’ he noted.
‘I just picked the weirdest and the wildest, wackiest things that I could find, and I thought, “Let's try that”.’
Among the many scams Suby encountered, one particularly 'scammy' product stood out: the Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin.
Marketed as a miracle substance capable of increasing testosterone and offering other exaggerated health benefits, the product was a prime example of false advertising at its most blatant.
‘It's this black tar substance that comes up from the Himalayas and India, and basically, it says it contains all of the essential minerals,' Suby said.
‘And they market it in a way where it's gonna double your testosterone, it's going to quote-unquote increase your pencil size, and it's going to do all of these outrageous things for you.’
‘Crazy AI ads for this one. The ad starts off with something like, “This is what would happen to you if you ate nothing but Shilajit for seven days.” And they just go on to make false, baseless claims.’
But even more concerning were the scams utilising AI deep fakes of popular celebrities and influencers to peddle their schemes.
Suby highlighted fabricated endorsements from Mr Beast, Elon Musk, Scarlett Johansson, Joe Rogan, and Robert Irwin.
‘They take somebody who is a credible figure with a relationship with their audience. And they just completely steal their identity,’ he explained.
These deepfakes prey on the trust and credibility these personalities have with their audiences, making the scams all the more convincing and dangerous.
The psychological tactics behind these scams are not to be underestimated. Sahra O'Doherty, President of the Australian Association of Psychologists, explained that:
‘When we're talking about scam products or even legitimate products sold in quite a scammy marketing way, it's often because it can feed into our sense of insecurity or anxiety about ourselves.’
‘So when we're buying something that we probably don't need, it's being sold to us as though we need it. It's usually playing into our insecurities that we're not good enough or don't fit in with a particular image we want to step in. And it's often being sold as a quick fix.’
Ms O'Doherty recommended that individuals conduct thorough research before purchasing any items they come across on social media.
‘We do have access to some form of research at our fingertips. We can go through the process of not just trusting the ads or the influencers. We can do a bit of a Google search, we can read reviews, if we have an inkling that it might be too good to be true,’ she stated.
‘We can search for that product with the word scam next to it and see if other people have reported something similar.’
Although it may be tempting to hold social media companies accountable for the prevalence of these scams, Mr Suby emphasised that individuals must rely on their common sense.
'You can't put guard rails on the internet,' he said.
'You need to operate intelligently, be highly sceptical of everything you see online, and apply critical thinking.'
Given children's easy access to the internet, Mr Suby also suggested that parents discuss scams with their kids to prepare them for the future.
'I've got three daughters; they're all under the age of seven, and I'm already teaching them about this,' he said.
'When we're in the car, and I get a robocall, or I'll pick it up in the car, and I will show my daughters first-hand what these people are going to try and do. And then they'll ask me a million questions about it.’
'It's that critical thinking that you need to arm them with that will serve them for the rest of their life.'
In related news, New South Wales police have warned about a rising trend of deepfake AI scams.
A Hunter Valley resident, one of the victims, lost a significant amount of money to a sophisticated investment scam promoted through deepfake ads.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam, please reach out and report your experience to the ACCC: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
You can also stay updated by regularly checking our Scamwatch Forum. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from fraudsters!
Have you or someone you know ever fallen victim to an online scam? What measures do you take to safeguard against such deceitful practices? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
It's a reality that even the savviest of business minds are not immune to, as demonstrated by the startling experiment by Shark Tank Australia’s judge and marketing expert, Sabri Suby.
In a bold and eye-opening move, Suby allowed himself to be scammed over 100 times to uncover the depths of deceit in the digital age.
Like many Aussies, the 38-year-old digital marketing mogul was no stranger to the barrage of telemarketers and scam ads that flood social media feeds and email inboxes.
However, his curiosity led him to explore online scams and understand what enables them to thrive.
Sabri Suby, a judge on Shark Tank Australia, intentionally fell victim to scams to investigate how these deceptive ads operate and continue to trick people. Credit: @sabrisruby/Instagram
‘It's getting out of control. I (usually) have a little bit of fun with them, but this time, I decided just to go all the way and just see what rabbit holes of the internet would lead me down and what lengths people go through to scam people,' Suby said.
‘And I think that with everything going on with AI and Robocalling, all of that stuff will become more prevalent. So myself being a man of the people, I have put myself to the task.’
Suby's journey into the scam world was almost effortless, thanks to the algorithms of social media platforms.
‘The algorithms are very smart with basically you things once you click on one and you click on one scam. And that's it. You fall down a ferret hole of just constant never-ending ads for all types of scams, whether it's organic content or ads itself,’ he noted.
‘I just picked the weirdest and the wildest, wackiest things that I could find, and I thought, “Let's try that”.’
Among the many scams Suby encountered, one particularly 'scammy' product stood out: the Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin.
Marketed as a miracle substance capable of increasing testosterone and offering other exaggerated health benefits, the product was a prime example of false advertising at its most blatant.
‘It's this black tar substance that comes up from the Himalayas and India, and basically, it says it contains all of the essential minerals,' Suby said.
‘And they market it in a way where it's gonna double your testosterone, it's going to quote-unquote increase your pencil size, and it's going to do all of these outrageous things for you.’
‘Crazy AI ads for this one. The ad starts off with something like, “This is what would happen to you if you ate nothing but Shilajit for seven days.” And they just go on to make false, baseless claims.’
But even more concerning were the scams utilising AI deep fakes of popular celebrities and influencers to peddle their schemes.
Suby highlighted fabricated endorsements from Mr Beast, Elon Musk, Scarlett Johansson, Joe Rogan, and Robert Irwin.
‘They take somebody who is a credible figure with a relationship with their audience. And they just completely steal their identity,’ he explained.
These deepfakes prey on the trust and credibility these personalities have with their audiences, making the scams all the more convincing and dangerous.
Online anonymity fuels the rise of scams, making it easier for fraudsters to prey on unsuspecting victims. Credit: Shutterstock
The psychological tactics behind these scams are not to be underestimated. Sahra O'Doherty, President of the Australian Association of Psychologists, explained that:
‘When we're talking about scam products or even legitimate products sold in quite a scammy marketing way, it's often because it can feed into our sense of insecurity or anxiety about ourselves.’
‘So when we're buying something that we probably don't need, it's being sold to us as though we need it. It's usually playing into our insecurities that we're not good enough or don't fit in with a particular image we want to step in. And it's often being sold as a quick fix.’
Ms O'Doherty recommended that individuals conduct thorough research before purchasing any items they come across on social media.
‘We do have access to some form of research at our fingertips. We can go through the process of not just trusting the ads or the influencers. We can do a bit of a Google search, we can read reviews, if we have an inkling that it might be too good to be true,’ she stated.
‘We can search for that product with the word scam next to it and see if other people have reported something similar.’
Although it may be tempting to hold social media companies accountable for the prevalence of these scams, Mr Suby emphasised that individuals must rely on their common sense.
'You can't put guard rails on the internet,' he said.
'You need to operate intelligently, be highly sceptical of everything you see online, and apply critical thinking.'
Given children's easy access to the internet, Mr Suby also suggested that parents discuss scams with their kids to prepare them for the future.
'I've got three daughters; they're all under the age of seven, and I'm already teaching them about this,' he said.
'When we're in the car, and I get a robocall, or I'll pick it up in the car, and I will show my daughters first-hand what these people are going to try and do. And then they'll ask me a million questions about it.’
'It's that critical thinking that you need to arm them with that will serve them for the rest of their life.'
In related news, New South Wales police have warned about a rising trend of deepfake AI scams.
A Hunter Valley resident, one of the victims, lost a significant amount of money to a sophisticated investment scam promoted through deepfake ads.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam, please reach out and report your experience to the ACCC: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
You can also stay updated by regularly checking our Scamwatch Forum. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from fraudsters!
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