The Grift Isn’t Just in Your Spam Folder... It’s in Politics Too
Fake comments, fake urgency, fake outrage. Different costumes. Same con.
Most people think scams look like bad grammar, suspicious links, and some idiot in your inbox promising you a million dollars from a Nigerian prince.
That’s the old version.
The modern scam is smarter.
It wears a suit.
Uses patriotic language.
Wraps itself in urgency.
And sometimes it shows up in your comment section pretending to be “concerned citizens” having a conversation.
Here’s what happened recently.
A creator uncovered a coordinated bot scam operating in his YouTube comments.
The thread looked organic enough at first glance…
One account bragged about making massive money through “digital markets.”
Another asked how.
Another chimed in to praise the so-called mentor.
Eventually the thread steered readers toward a crypto investment scam.
Standard internet grift.
Except when the creator checked the profiles?
Most of those accounts had been created days earlier—some the same day the video went live.
Manufactured conversation.
Fake consensus.
Synthetic trust.
In plain English…
They built a puppet show and hoped gullible people would mistake it for reality.
And here’s the uncomfortable part…
That same tactic isn’t limited to crypto scammers.
Political operators use the exact same psychological mechanics.
Not always bots.
Not always fake accounts.
But the same formula.
Create urgency.
Manufacture threat.
Trigger emotion.
Demand money.
Case in point…
Following Canada’s last federal election, some close races triggered automatic recounts because margins were under 0.1%…standard procedure under Elections Canada rules.
These recounts happen automatically and do not require political parties to fund them.
Yet fundraising emails went out claiming Liberals were “trying to tip the scales” and urging supporters to donate immediately to “hold the line.”
Read that again.
Routine recounts.
Required by law.
No emergency.
No conspiracy.
No special funding needed.
But the email framed it like democracy itself was under attack.
Why?
Because panic converts better than honesty.
That’s not fundraising.
That’s emotional extraction.
The crypto scam preys on greed.
The political scam preys on fear.
Different bait.
Same hook.
And here’s the bigger issue most people still refuse to face…
A disturbing amount of modern persuasion… online and off… is engineered to bypass your thinking brain entirely.
Not persuade you.
Not inform you.
Not debate you.
Manipulate you.
If something constantly tells you…
your enemies are cheating
disaster is moments away
only immediate action can save the day
and money somehow fixes the problem…
…you may not be receiving information.
You may be inside a sales funnel.
That applies to sketchy YouTube comments.
That applies to political fundraising emails.
That applies to half the outrage machine online.
The internet is no longer just polluted with misinformation.
It’s polluted with manufactured emotion designed to monetize your reaction.
And if people can fake public consensus in a comment section…
They can fake momentum.
Fake support.
Fake outrage.
Fake “everybody knows this.”
That’s how echo chambers get built.
Brick by brick.
Bot by bot.
Lie by lie.
The smartest thing you can do in 2026 is not become more partisan.
It’s become harder to manipulate.
Because the people trying to control you no longer need to beat you in an argument.
They just need to keep you emotional enough that you never stop to think.
The Recap…
Scams don’t just wear crypto logos anymore.
Sometimes they wear campaign colours.
If someone is manufacturing panic to get your money…
whether it’s a bot in your comments or a politician in your inbox…
you’re not being informed. You’re being played.
The Gut-Punch…
The easiest person to scam is the one who thinks propaganda only happens to other people.
Source Credit:
Based on Claus Kellerman POV reporting and analysis from online tracking research.
🔎 The GeezerWise Standard
This space is built on disciplined thinking.
Facts over spin.
Verification before amplification.
Good-faith discussion over tribal noise.
I use AI tools to help shape my spoken drafts into clear writing.
The judgment, conclusions, and final message are mine.
If you’re new here, this explains how I decide what’s worth sharing:
How I Decide What’s Worth Sharing → [link]
💌 Subscribe at GeezerWise.com to receive future letters:
www.geezerwise.com/subscribe
— Fred Ferguson
GeezerWise
#CanadaStrong
🇨🇦💙I routinely report scam AI, fake videos to Youtube and receive an update from them on which ones are pending or deleted. It’s a drop in the bucket but I hold Youtube accountable. Thx for the heads up.
Another variety is the newscast, either as a reel on FB or a video on Youtube which is about a subject many people are aware of but outcomes haven't yet been announced. Generally the promised outcomes are something we want but they are behind a paywall. The money is to cover the cost of the hardworking reporter or the forthcoming lobby efforts. The paywall can be in the form of a subscription, and you can pay by credit card. Here's the form, just fill in your card data.
I watched a ten minute video on Canada having chosen the Gripen, with all the details behind the curtain for just a small donation. The amount didn't matter and it was a one-time only payment, data treated with the utmost confidentiality. I submitted the presented facts to AI for verification, found that no deal had been cut and moved on. Caveat Emptor.