​
- Scams are not exclusive to the blockchain space.
- To mitigate the potential of being scammed, always choose legitimate NFT exchanges such as Binance NFT.
- Protect your wallet credentials and always check sender links and email addresses before confirming any transaction.
- In this article, we will cover the most common NFT scams and share ways to avoid them.
With NFT scams becoming more sophisticated, it's easier than ever for anyone to fall prey to them. In this article, we focus on NFT scams, so you don't lose your digital collectibles before you make a profit.
NFTs have taken the world by storm, disrupting the art world and many other industries. While cryptocurrency enthusiasts see this as an exciting sign that crypto adoption is starting to catch on, it's hard to tell who is a trustworthy creator and who is acting in bad faith in the new space.
The growing widespread interest in NFTs has made many popular NFT project communities are subject to phishing attacks. This has led to active discussions on how to best protect your NFT assets.
Since the NFT space is still in its infancy, it is very important to keep abreast of common scam tactics and the latest in protection and security of the NFTs.
Read on to learn more about how you can spot red flags and keep your NFTs safe.

NFTs are attractive to many, including scammers

With the use cases of NFTs increasing significantly, these digital assets point to a new era of the digital world. The potential of NFTs has piqued the interest of many, including major tech companies and celebrities.
However, because the NFT space can still be considered to be in its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) stage, the framework on which it is based remains vulnerable to those acting in bad faith and looking to take advantage of new trends. and emerging technology.
But What is it that gives value to an NFT? Paying five or six figures for a JPEG sounds like a lot, but what makes NFTs valuable is their utility and uniqueness. NFTs basically create a permanent digital record of your sole ownership of the asset on the blockchain and guarantee authenticity.
However, there are some common scams to watch out for:

The 7 most common NFT scams

1. Fake markets

If you are thinking of investing in your first NFT, the first thing you should do is find a platform where you can buy and sell NFTs. A quick Google search will return millions of results, but sadly there are many fake NFT markets among them. These fake sites do not have legitimate NFTs, so if you buy one of them, the site will record your credentials from your transaction details. Furthermore, these sites may even request your private keys or 12-word security seed phrases and use them to withdraw all your assets from your digital wallet.
To avoid these scams, always choose legitimate NFT trading platforms, such as Binance NFTs, for your cryptocurrency transactions and never enter your information in links, pop-ups or emails.
As a general rule, you only need your seed phrase when creating a hardware backup of your crypto wallet or to recover your wallet.

1. Fake offers

NFT scammers often pose as legitimate NFT trading platforms and send you fake emails claiming someone has made an offer on your NFT. These phishing emails aim to get you to click on the link included in the message that takes you to a fake NFT marketplace.
Like all other phishing scams, the link takes you to a fake page where you will be asked to link your digital wallet and submit your seed phrase, which will allow hackers to access your wallet.
To avoid these types of NFT scams, always check and verify the sender address of any email received from an NFT exchange.

1. Fake Tech Support

Another common scam is messages from Customer Service or Technical Support representatives. For example, say you're having technical difficulties on a popular NFT marketplace and you ask for help on a public forum like Discord. Someone who claims to represent that market offers to help you.
The fake support agent might ask you to share your screen to verify what's going on, causing you to inadvertently reveal your cryptocurrency wallet credentials.
By doing this, the agent can take screenshots of your seed phrase or QR code linked to it. The scammer could also redirect you to a website that looks almost identical to the original one. It would then convince you to enter your personal information, such as your seed phrase. This leaves your digital wallet vulnerable to theft.
How do you avoid these types of scams and keep your NFTs safe? Just ask for help through the official NFT marketplace and double check the domain of the site. Some scammers might send you fake security alerts about your NFT account or collection, but the tactics are similar. Do not click on anything before verifying its legitimacy.

1. Fake gifts

Scammers may self-identify as employees of popular NFT platforms and contact you via social media to ask you to join their NFT giveaway campaign. They might promise you a free NFT if you spread the word about the giveaway and sign up for an account on their website, a phishing site.
And once they've got you to link your digital wallet credentials to receive your gift, they'll record what you type, gain access to your account, and potentially steal your NFT library.
To avoid falling for this type of NFT scam, be sure to check that person's social media accounts and verify that the link you received from the person matches the company's legitimate domain name.

1. Rug pull scams

Rug pull scams occur when a person or a group of people releases a preliminary collection of NFTs to kick off a large project that the team supposedly plans to develop over time with a video game component, merchandise, or event. Rug pull occurs when these people disappear with the millions of dollars raised before any of the promised actions can take place. In many cases this happens quickly, but there have also been cases of slow rug pulls where the project is gradually abandoned, with a lack of updates and new development.
The best way to avoid falling for a rug pull scam is to do your own research (DYOR). Research the team behind the project and assess their long-term business plans.
Follow the project on Twitter, Discord or other public forums, because for an NFT project to have good liquidity or lasting artistic value, there should be a sizeable active community of committed investors.

1. Counterfeit NFTs

Coining a digital file as an NFT does not make it a new piece of intellectual property or give you ownership over the file. This simply turns a digital file into something that you can store on the blockchain.
Fraudsters can easily steal a digital creator's work and open an account on an NFT marketplace where they post the counterfeit piece up for auction.
If you buy the counterfeit NFT, this would make your NFT worthless once the community realizes that it is not the real NFT, and there would be no way for you to get your money back.
How can you avoid this scam? Before bidding on an NFT, check the seller's Discord or social media profile to see if it has a checkmark for added credibility.
Also, instead of searching for a collection directly on an NFT marketplace, use the creator's official social media account link and bookmark the page to prevent phishing. The potential problems you face from not doing your own due diligence are many, and a simple web search will help you uncover numerous scam stories.

1. Inflation and sale schemes

Another thing to keep in mind are the so-called inflation and sale schemes.
The term refers to when a person or a group aggressively buys a ton of NFTs to artificially boost demand.
They do this within a short period to make the NFT appear popular, and once it gets noticed, they make a profit by selling it at a price they are happy with. They leave the highest bidders with assets that are worthless.
That being said, always check the transaction history of the NFT you wish to purchase. Multiple transactions made around the same date could indicate a sell-off scheme.

How to protect yourself from NFT scams?

Now that we've covered some of the most common NFT scams, here are five tips you can follow to protect your NFT collection online.
Don't click blindly: Never click links or attachments from unknown sources. And when it comes to seeking help regarding issues on an NFT platform, always go to the official customer support on official NFT exchange sites for assistance, rather than responding to someone who contacted you via from other platforms, such as social networks.
DYOR on NFT Projects: Do a thorough review of the project website, roadmap, social media channels, and creator bios before investing in your NFTs to assess long-term value of your investment.
Check the contact address: The address should specify where the NFT was minted. If you're not sure, check the creator's website to make sure the information is genuine.
Be smart with your wallet credentials: Keep your seed phrase in a safe place and don't share it with anyone or keep a picture of it on your phone. Also, use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to enhance the security of your accounts.
Use legitimate wallet apps and browser extensions: There are plenty of rogue apps posing as official ones. Download your wallet app or browser extension from the legitimate official site to avoid falling victim to phishing.

In conclusion

Although it is clear that the technology behind NFTs has the potential to revolutionize the digital world, the NFT space is still at an early stage. All the hype in the space can make it difficult to determine who is a trustworthy creator and who is looking to act in bad faith. So stay alert and always do your DYOR before investing in a digital asset.
Now that you're equipped with the best tips to keep your NFT collection and wallet safe, are you ready to dive into the world of NFTs?

Specifically, what Thorne did in regards to Grant Morrison's The Green Lantern; Morrison gave us a new spin on the Guardians, and gave Hal's battery some major power upgrades that brought the character more in line with the Silver Age where the ring's abilities felt more imaginative. Thorne ignored the Young Guardians completely and gave Hal his "original ring" back (which I heavily suspect was done both out of spite for the character and to prop John up even more).
Adams seems to be going for a Silver Age vibe to the series with it being set on Earth and sporting the original costume, so it'd fit nicely to see the more absurd uses of the ring come back to compliment that. I think it could be done quite easily since Thorne seemingly forgot that it was Hal's new Power Battery that gave him upgraded abilities, and not the ring. So perhaps Hal could have simply charged his ring and had the upgrade restored.
Storytelling aside, it'd also just be cathartic because Morrison jammed more writing talent into single panels of The Green Lantern than Thorne did his entire run.

Should I pursue a lean six sigma green belt from my university costs 3k?
I am currently a senior at my University. I just got the offer to join Wells Fargo in their OPs department upon my graduation. I need to go to a different state to work for a year starting this July 2023.
I want to back to where I live, and the only bank near me is Citi Bank. I am interested in pursuing a career in Business Analyst and Operations. Will a lean six sigma green belt cert have me find something at Citi in a year after Wells Fargo?
I need to stay where I live right now to take care of my single mom.
I am open to any suggestions and advice! Thank you!

So I'm looking for a new place, and my prospective landlord didn't make me fill out any formal application. Instead, they just asked for a couple references, one of which being my previous landlord. After they called the references (I know they did because my friend who was one of the references told me they called), they said we sound like good tenants, and they would want to rent to us. Shortly after they sent over a lease, and just required us to sign it as well as give a security deposit.
Now I'm 99 percent certain this is not a scam. I made sure to research this myself, since the lack of a formal application seemed weird. The person who would be renting to us owns the building, and has a fully licensed rental company. The lease is completely legit too. And again, they actually looked into our references. I should also mention they gave times for a tour of the unit (I declined due to not living in the city).
Everything about the place is a green flag, except for the vetting process. I'm just still weirded out at the lack of a formal application, and wanted to see if any of you had any insight. Thanks so much

Hello. Former full-time firefighteparamedic. Worked in a large metro area for quite a while.
Long story short, after more years than I would’ve guessed my life took a different path. Wound up leaving the fire service to have the military pay for medical school. Been out of the military for a little while now.
For some reason, the last six months or so I’ve noticed changes in my personality that are possible red flags of other issues, and I’m sort of desperate to get squared away again. I’ve tried to think about things on my own, and stuff seems rooted in experiences from my time in the fire service.
I guess my question is:

• Has anyone here used the IAFF mental health resources/courses? Are they any specifically you could recommend to me? I have a strong preference for anonymous options, which I believe the IAFF offers (or at least it did a long time ago)?
  
• Any other advice?
  

Also, please don’t worry - I’m not going to hurt myself or anything. I’m just trying to better my life.
I am clueless as to why things started popping up now, years after leaving the job. A bunch of stuff I honestly forgot about just randomly started surfacing, and like I said I’ve noticed some personality changes indicative of other things, as well as sleep issues etc. I don’t understand why stuff didn’t bother me while doing the job and now it does, but I just want to fix things is all.
Thanks for any answers you can provide.

I apologize in advance if this has been asked before.
I ran LTL (tweaked a bit) last Saturday as an intro to Delta Green for my players and we loved it. We're all still riding a high from it. It got ridiculously more tense that I ever expected and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I had as a GM. Everyone got a lot out of it. I honestly didn't expect it to go as well as it did.
With that said, obviously the biggest part of the scenario was the moral dilemma with the PCs debating on what to do at the key event.
Are there any other scenarios (published/shotgun whathaveyou) that kind of give that same feel? I have the black sites and night at the opera collections and I'm going through those now (don't have control group). I worry that I set the bar too high with our first session and subsequent ones won't measure up 😂.
Thanks in advance!

I'm a fan of the musical SIX. For those unaware, it's about the six wives of Henry VIII forming a girl group and singing about the abuses they suffered during their marriages to him. If you're a fan of pop music or history, you might enjoy the soundtrack.
Anyway, I was listening to Jane Seymour's song, "Heart of Stone," where she sings about her steong love for Henry. However, she notices his love is conditional:
"But I know without my son your love could disappear."
This reminded me of one of my past friendships. I met this guy when I was lonely and essentially worshipped the ground he walked on. He was very knowledgeable about the Bible and other religions; he didn't want to talk much about anything else. Looking back, I think I was so desperate for a friend I could spend a lot of time with that I ignored the fact we had little in common. Even so, I still cared deeply for him.
One red flag I missed because I had on rose-colored glasses (thank you, BoJack Horseman) was how he talked about morality. I remember he would say things like if God told him to endanger someone's life he'd do it. He would make the "where do atheists get their morals from" argument all the time. I think what got me to start noticing these red flags was him saying if he didn't know Jesus he wouldn't be friends with me. He was bluntly honest about everything he didn't like about me. However, because of Jesus, he loves me. I didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, I thought it was cool that God could bring two very different people together to become besties. At the same time, it was scary to me that if his belief in God changed, his love for me could also go away. Reflecting on this inspired me to rewrite that line from "Heart of Stone":
"But I know without THE SON your love could disappear"
I also started to reflect on how I love people. I've never felt like I only or mostly love people because God commands me to. My parents always told me I have a big heart, that I go out of my way to be kind to everybody. Of course, I have the deepest love for those who reciprocate my kindness. We help each other out, spend time together, talk about everything from silly stuff to serious things, etc. I try to give everyone a chance, but if it's clear there's no connection there, I'll try not to let it get to me and move on.
If you don't like me, go find someone you do like being around and leave me alone. To quote another SIX song, I don't need your love. If you warm up to me later, cool, but don't force yourself to love. What sucks is since he said that to me, I find myself worrying if people actually like me for me or if they like me out of some sort of obligation (religious reasons, they see me as a charity case, etc.). Guess that's one more thing to discuss with the counselor.
Sorry for the long ramble. I've always found it really weird that some Christians say their beliefs in God is what keeps them from doing terrible things. I don't think I need God to keep me from killing somebody; I just know doing that is a crappy thing to do. But maybe I just think too highly of myself. 🤔

The first thing we hear out of Zach's mouth is his mentioning to his dates that he works as a stripper. When I first heard that, I immediately thought he was probably some frat boy douchebag who thinks that's the pinnacle of humor. However, after he felt comfortable enough, and started to share the story of his life, which included his mother stripping to make ends meet, it made me put those scenes into perspective.
There has been some discourse around him joking about being a stripper. It was even mentioned on Natalie's pod, where she said that it "demeans the profession," but I find it hard to believe that a man with so much reverence for his strong mother would ever demean her profession. I think he was using that question as a litmus test. If any of the girls reacted to that joke poorly and perhaps even made a slight about that profession, that could have been a red flag to him indicating those girls, like some of the people in his past, may look down on his background.
[Enter Irina]
Zach mentions in his proposal to her that he joked that he was homeless and lived under an underpass (we know money was tight when he was a kid), and Irina said she didn't care. That's a green flag that indicates to him that she might not judge him on his background. If this is close to the truth, his methodology isn't great by any means, but honestly, with his background, I would get it.
I see a lot of people still question how he could pick Irina over Bliss as the choice was "obvious." I posted about how he wasn't privy to what was happening in the dorms, he only had the conversions in the pods to rely on. Someone told me that Bliss mentioned to him about how Irina played games, acts horrible, etc., and that Zach should have considered that. I think Bliss making those comments had the exact opposite effect. Irina was great to him individually, so when he hears about how these other girls have a problem with her, I can't help but imagine that he makes a connection to his mother, who might've received similar comments in the past due to her background or profession from mean girls. Zach saw his mother in Irina and became endeared with her. A connection bonded by trauma.
Honestly, I thought the entire situation was really sad, and I hope for the best for him because I think he's a nice person.

Hello, me and my girlfriend are planning to go to Six Flags in a few days. We were just about to book tickets and were shocked to see parking was $40 dollars. But then we saw if you bought a platinum pass for $20 dollars extra parking would be included.
My question is if we arrive at the parking lot together will be both need platinum passes or should be just buy one? Is this a way to make parking just $20 dollars or will they catch you out for extra money. Haven’t seen this discussed online anywhere, can anybody who visited recently give me the 411 on this.

/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

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1. First hangover with (newish) girlfriend and I woke up to this
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4. My Mom, who designed a Mario themed party at her office (all by hand) dressed as Cloud guy!
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1. [3/28/2023] Tuesday's Off Topic Free Talk Thread
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7. Rodney Terry to be named HC

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Am I the only one who actually liked it? Don’t get me wrong New Texas Giant is great, especially for being a prototype. However I did not find it unbearably rough like many did. I last rode it in original form in 2008, it’s penultimate year as a woodie. It was definitely bumpy but not a painful bumpy. The park was dead and the queue was empty so I also got a re-ride. Mean Streak in contrast was rough to the point of being almost nauseating and got worse every season. I would only ride it once visiting.

2 six flags scream break tickets for sale for this Saturday. Bought both for $83, will sell for $70.

I used to think success was driving down a beach-front highway having to choose between breathing in the new car smell from your convertible, or putting the top down for some salt air.
1 week ago, I had neither of those choices and today the very thought of beach air and new car smell makes me fucking sick.
Before I get into this, let me be clear: this is not a confession of guilt for anything I’ve done. I never wanted all this shit. From the very start it was only about one thing: Getting my son, James a birthday present.
I wasn’t even trying to get him the BEST or the BIGGEST or the most EXPENSIVE birthday present. Just
A present. The present I set out to get.
But instead...
I went to the 7/11 on Santa Monica and bought a MegaMillions lotto ticket.
My name is Daniel Baxter, and this is the day I thought I won the lottery.
​
April 8, 2022 – 2:03AM
It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I’m at the Hollywood Casino. I’ve got every penny to my name spread across the craps table and some dickhead on his bachelor party holds the dice of fate in his clammy little hands.
My last 3 meals have been from discarded room service trays at LAX Hilton, my truck doesn’t start without a prayer and the tires have been leaking air for the last month which is fine because now I know the location of every free air filling station in LA County.
If I’d paid my phone bill, it’d be buzzing a crater in my leg from my ex, Lenora, asking if I’d picked up our son’s birthday gift with the $200 she gave me.
“Gave me” isn’t quite the right term. She handed it to me with a scowl then told me “if you gamble this shit you’ll never fucking see him again.” Things had been tense lately.
But none of that matters because this guy’s been hot and it’s with his help that I’ve turned that 200 hundred into almost 3 grand. The only question is; are the rhythms with me or not?
Maybe you call it God. Maybe you call it Karma or the natural vibe of the earth or mercury or whatever. When the rhythms are on, everything goes your way. You crush your yearly review at work and get the raise you’re after or you’re at some party and you’ve got everyone eating outta the palm of your hand.
Most things are math. Craps is math. Poker is math. Phone bills are math. Divorce rates are math and if I keep having to eat off of room service trays, the likelihood of me waking up with diarrhea is math.
It’s all just probability. But when the rhythms are on, the probability doesn’t matter. You could take a 1 and a million shot back-to-back and hit it twice. That’s what the rhythm can do for you.
Summer of 2018 I was up over 2 million. I couldn’t lose a hand of blackjack, I couldn’t crap out if I tried, I couldn’t say the wrong thing to Lenora and every time I walked into the room my son, James, would light up like a fucking lantern.
It used to be me and Lenora at the tables. The place was always open, the food is fine and the drinks are free. If we weren’t at the tables we were in the lounge talking Black Jack strategy or in the bar talking game theory or hanging out at the slots like a couple’a mice pressing a button and waiting for the cheese to pop out.
Sometimes it’s nice to be a mouse. I’ve got rats in my house. They don’t pay rent or go food shopping. All they have to do is avoid eating a piece of death cheese or poison and honestly that’s not too far off from how I live anyways.
When we had James, things changed though. As Lenora put it “risking your son’s dinner isn’t chasing something it’s chasing nothing.” And I guess the 45-minute commute to the Hollywood wasn’t a valuable use of her time. Lots of people commute to work even longer. When I was working at Goldman, I commuted an hour and a half each way from Connecticut. Granted I was on a train but the point is we all commute to work.
It was nice having her here. It was nice seeing James with a smile. It was nice to check my bank account and feel a life raft around me, rather than a black hole forming in my bellybutton.
But the rhythms shifted.
Now it’s just me here next to Lenny with the beard, Jackie with the cigar and Jonie who’s been serving drinks here so long her face should be on the highway billboards. After Lenora broke it off with me she got together with Kelton who works for a hedge fund which (for the record) is still gambling. He’s just doing it with other people’s money.
James’ 9th birthday is three days away. He wants an iPad and soon as I cash out, I’ll be able to pick one up, maybe kick some back to Lenora and spread some cash around to the litany of people I’m on the hook to.
I’m one big night away from wiping it all out. I just need one hit. One night of pure rhythm... and I’ll be back.
The shooter shakes the dice in his hand then tosses ‘em. I watch them clack on the table walls below me, but before they even settle on the pass line, I can already feel the star implode in my stomach.
In a flash, my hard work is raked away by some new guy named Carl with a moustache and not a single ounce of sympathy.
The party’s at Lenora (and Kelton’s) which was fine because honestly, I didn’t just have rats.
The rats came in chasing the cockroaches but when a bunch of them got into my Cadbury Mini Egg stash and died under the living room floor, a pack of fleas picked the carcass clean before making their way into the carpet above. So, yeah...at the moment I have fleas, cockroaches and rats. I had a bug bomb guy coming in a couple days but things were gonna be a little itchy until then.
It's three days until the party. I’ve got no gift and if I show up without that 200 bucks I may never see my kid again.
​
April 8, 2022 – 6:32AM
There’s only so much you can do on a security guard’s salary and being paid $12 an hour to guard millions of dollars in Mercedes automobiles is hilarious. What am I supposed to do if some guy comes in to steal a car? Lay my life on the line and hope my out-of-pocket HMO covers bullet wounds?
I don’t even have dental. I got a root canal that needed to be recapped 10 minutes after it was put in.
I’ve been on Mr. Jenkins about a raise but he keeps telling me “we gotta sell more cars, Davey,” as if I’m the one selling cars. I’m a fucking security guard what the hell’s that gotta do with me? Last I checked it was my job to keep cars on the lot and getting them off was yours.
Jenkins owns every car dealer on Van Nuys. Maybe you’ve seen his ads on TV where he slides into frame wearing a suit while riding a surfboard just to say “COME ON DOWN!” He can afford to buy a surfboard for tv ad that has no mention of surfing or aquatic sports of any kind but he can’t pay me an extra $3 an hour so I can re-introduce cold foods to my diet.
I spend most of my shift eyeing the mint green on onyx black SLS convertible they keep in the lobby. It’s flashy but it’s got a nut sack under the hood so you know you could back it up if you went toe-to-toe with some clown at a red light. Sometimes I just stare at it but I never touch it. I only wanna touch it when it’s mine. Which it would be...
Maybe I could steal it and sell it to get the iPad and some other shit. I know all the codes but then again I wouldn’t need the whole car. The thing costs half a mill. Maybe I could lift a rear-view mirror. Who would notice? Then again with the way the rhythm’s set I’d probably bump into the fucking FBI on the way out.
I’ve been doing my best to get things together but the cards aren’t falling my way and there’s not much you can really do about that. I’ve been going to the Hollywood for 15 years so I know I’m due for a run.
Me and Lenny talking about this all the time at the lounge. Sometimes you’re on the downbeat and sometimes you’re on the upbeat. Lately I feel like it’s been all downs but the thing about being a father though, is that you’re not the only one on that ride.
It used to be that I could take a few down weeks or months even. Sleep in the car, call the landlord and talk them out of breaking down the door but when you got a kid everything changes. You suffer, he suffers. Lately Lenora’s been paying for that but you see she keeps a tally. She says she doesn’t but she does.
Every time she has to pay for something she looks at me like I’m the biggest piece of shit then says “It’s ok, David.” Which it really isn’t.
The fees and stuff aren’t the real problem. It’s being able to take James out and take care of him. She wants to take that away from me and honestly I don’t blame her.
Last week my card got declined trying to pay for ice cream. James had already eaten half of his and the lady made us give it back. He didn’t talk to me the whole way home then 2 days later Lenora told me James didn’t really like spending time with me anymore. A week after that she filed for sole custody and told me they were thinking about moving to Chicago. Who the fuck would want to live there? It’s cold as fuck and the people are assholes.
​
April 8, 2022 – 12:20PM
I do pickups for a porta-john company on the side. It’s just temporary. I don’t clean the shit I just spray down the units and suck out cans and shit with a wet-vac before this guy named Pete sticks a hose in the back and drains the whole thing out.
I’m always surprised by what people put on the walls of a john. Usually it’s just drawings like hearts and shit but sometimes the rhythm finds you there too. One time I spotted a phone number Sharpied on a toilet seat but it was missing 1 number. 8 digits. Kinda like 4 roulette numbers right?
I took em to the Hollywood and won 5 grand on one roll! Hasn’t worked again for me yet... but that’s the thing about it man.
But today I’m cleaning out a row of johns after some music festival which by the way is far and away the worst clean ups to get. Sure you see these kids all cleaned up online in some tweed outfit or some shit but you should see the shit that comes out of these kids. It’s like paving tar with glitter and red bull cans.
I look down in the last john I’m hosing down and I see something. Peaking out of the mounds I see: a $20 bill.
I stared at it for a second but I could hear Pete coming down the line about to suck it into oblivion. I never seen cash in the john before. Sometimes you hear a coin clank through the hose but a 20 bill just staring you right in the face?
I did what any man would do. I grabbed it and when I pulled my hand out I was half expecting it to be missing a layer of skin.
Later I’m sitting in the truck staring at this 20 bucks thinking “why would this come to me?” There had to be a reason. It wasn’t just on the floor of some john. It was in the last john after the nastiest event at a time when all I needed was one shot.
It was the rhythm.
But having to do that for just $20 didn’t add up. There had to have been a greater purpose and you know what they say about money. You don’t let it sleep. You wanna get that money out and get it working.
Craps kicked my teeth in this morning and you can’t do shit with 20 bucks on a blackjack table. I had to think bigger.
Then I’m driving home from work and I see the 7/11. Powerball was at 2.11 BILLION. The biggest in history. If you got all 6 numbers right you got the whole chicken. If you got 5 you got just shy of 8 million bucks. Boom.
I had my usual numbers but this wasn’t a usual day. I told the cashier to give me “all randoms today.” 10 slips at $2 each.
That night I sat down on my couch waiting for the Powerball to come on tv... then I blacked out.
The next thing I knew I was staring at 6 numbers lit up on my tv screen: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 16
And on my slip: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 22
I had 5 out of 6 numbers. I’d just won 8 million dollars
​
April 9, 2022 – 9:01AM
I’m standing in line at the California Lottery Offices. It’s not some huge expansive place. It’s a shitty little line up of people with various ailments trying to dispute their $5 winning ticket.
My mind is racing. Who do I pay back first? Do they give me the cash here? Is it in a duffel bag? When do I have to hold that big ass check? Do I wear a mask? I saw a guy do it in a scream mask once to maintain his anonymity. Honestly it might be nice to be seen. Not only has everyone seen me as a piece of shit forever but also I haven’t exactly kept a detailed list of everyone I owe money to.
It’d be good for people to just hit me up, I can cut a check and tell them “thanks for your patience.” Maybe I’d even give them a little off the top as a tip.
The guy a the counter basically spat in my face; “It’s gotta be reviewed. Takes 2-5 days. We’ll email you a link to collect any winnings.” It was like I just accused him of something. No congratulations or anything which at first, I was pissed about but then I realized that clearly I wasn’t the first asshole who thought they won the lottery.
Except I really did. 2-5 days was nothing. I’d been living in the shit for years I could do another few days.
Stepping outside, everything looked the same. The air wasn’t purer or the sunlight any more sunlightier and I still had to fill up my tires at the Shell on Cahuenga. There’s something about being rich without actually having any appearance of being rich.
That secret alone is like having a bomb in your pocket. People treat you regular, they smile and make conversation but deep down you think...if I pulled this out I could kill you with it.
But when people do think you have money, the more of it they give you.
I rolled in the doors of the Hollywood like I always did. Lenny called me a bullshitter, Jackie barely even put her cigarette down and Jonie didn’t even bring me a drink because I didn’t actually have any money on the table. I didn’t even have money in my pocket. I’d spent it all on the Megamillions and I hadn’t eaten since perusing the halls for leftover room service the night before.
Then news hit. My face was on every TV in the place. “Local man wins 8 million dollar jackpot.”
I checked my phone to see if it was blowing up, then remembered I still hadn’t paid the bill in months. So I was good there.
​
April 9, 2022 – 11:11AM
If you’ve ever been on a casino floor you know that it’s never silent. But I swear to God if you were on the floor when that news hit, you could’ve heard the rats eating my Mini Eggs 20 miles away. Everyone’s eyes were trained on me. For a second I even felt all the security cams shift over in my direction.
I couldn’t stand being on the floor with nothing to play with so Lenny set me up with his guy who got me a little walking around money. Japanese guy who I met in a Burger King across the street. Weird dude. Not sure what his name was.
I didn’t wanna go too nuts so I just took out a small loan. 50k at 20 points. I thought about it for a second then realized I didn’t really give a shit about the interest. 10 grand to me in a week doesn’t mean nearly as much as 50 does now. It’s just value proposition. It would have been stupid NOT to take out the loan honestly.
Walking into the casino with 50 grand in my pocket and slamming it down on the table feels a lot like taking out your dick at an orgy only when your dick comes out it’s a 60 foot cigarette boat with flames painted on the side.
But then I learned what I remembered years ago. Losing money and gaining money at that point meant almost nothing.
So losing 2 grand a hand wasn’t such a big deal because I could be making 5 on the next. That’s why I needed a little more when I lost the full 50.
Another 100k or so at another 20 points should do the trick.
It didn’t take long to realize that both winning and losing money meant almost nothing to me. So I ventured out.
A tailored suit for me (ready in 2-3 days on a rush).
An iPad for James with all the bells and whistles.
6 dozen roses sent to Lenora’s house signed “your secret admirer.” just to fuck with Kelton.
A watch for me, Lenny and Jodie.
Some special cigar Jackie had always been eyeing.
New pairs of Nikes for all of us.
And a limousine to my dentist’s office.
I paid in cash for the cap replacement, they gave me some pills and told me not to mix them with alcohol but honestly I was a little distracted by the old molar cap sitting on the table. I had an idea.
“Are you gonna just throw that away?” I asked her.
By now I realized I didn’t have a phone to receive my winnings via email. So, I stopped a guy in the lobby and paid him 2 grand cash for his before popping a few pills and slugging some champagne in the limo.
There was barely enough time to sit back and relax. I had a lifetime of debt and yearning for shit to burn through.
We made it to the Mercedes dealership but the pain killers kicked in and I could barely feel my hands as they ran across the SLS’s mint green paint. Bummer.
Jenkins sauntered over asking if I was working today and all I remember saying was “I want it.” He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, so I put the remaining cash I had down on the table and said it again. “I WANT IT.”
They ran my credit (which was dog shit. Didn’t matter) and I looked Jenkins in his fat little face again and said “I don’t give a fuck.” He sold it to me, financed at 25 percent interest. Then when he went to fetch my paperwork and keys I took a shit on his desk, shoved the molar cap and a $20 bill in it before using his jacket to wipe my ass. Felt right. Don’t really know why.
I had walked into the CA lottery offices at 9am to start the review process on my ticket’s authenticity.
By 11am, I was watching news break from the Hollywood Casino.
By 10pm I had accrued more debt than a small country.
I hadn’t received a dime from the lotto.
And I needed more walking around money.
​
April 10, 11, 12 – who the fuck knows what time
The next few days were a blur but there are a few things I’ll never forget.
Quitting my job.
Hiring the limo for the week.
Trying to shit after 3 days of having nothing but fast food, champagne and pain killers.
Fielding questions at the party from Kelton’s asshole friends who told me “lotto rich isn’t real rich.”
And the heat of my house burning to the ground as James and I stood there watching with a can of gas in our hands.
He didn’t even want the iPad.
The rhythms were sliding back. James had that smile plastered back in his face and even Lenora was happy to see me.
​
April 16, 7:35AM
“Dear Mr. Baxter. Congratulations! You’ve successfully matched FOUR of six winning numbers. Below please find a link to collect your winnings of $10,000.”
I read it over and over again. Over and over and over.
When I called the offices an nice woman on the phone informed me that due to a printing malfunction the ticket had appeared to show the number 8 when in fact it was a 6.
They even managed to maintain a sense of excitement. I mean why wouldn’t they? They think I just won $10,000. They had no idea I’d bought a car I couldn’t afford, burned my house down, taken a shit on my boss’ desk, maxed out 3 new credit cards and borrowed a inordinate amount of money from people at a borderline illegal interest rate.
The limo company took my ride away and with no home I’ve spent the last 2 days parked on the Pacific Coast Highway, sleeping in the brand new Mercedes I can’t afford, in a suit I shouldn’t have bought, showering in the YMCA down the street, and eating 2-day-old coconut shrimp.
All of a sudden I’m fucked again. But as I stare out at the Pacific, my phone dings. It’s an alert from the Chase banking app. My lotto winnings of $10,000 have just hit my account and the only question is...
Are the rhythms with me or not?