I've probably posted it before years ago but I was hit myself by this back around 2002 or 2003 when I was a bit less world wise and had to much disposable income.
Had my best friend with me at the time who happened to also be my co-worker and we were on a lunch break. We stopped by a gas station and while gassing up, some dude that has what looks to be a van someone would use when doing home theater installations walks over.
He approaches my friend and starts in about how they do installs for the rich people that live on the ocean (was living in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the time and not far from endless mega-million dollar homes). I walk over to hear what they're talking about and he says how they (had another guy with them) just finished a job that had to many speakers delivered for what was needed and since they were a mistake, he'd sell them to me for a fraction of the price.
He shows us the speakers, which are in a box still and pulls them out. They were hot looking shit, I do admit they looked the part.
I have always been pretty cautious about things that sound to good to be true but my friend was so sure they were a great deal that he actually was the only reason I went ahead with it. See, my friend was at the time married (since divorced) and could never spend money on anything without it causing a huge fight with his wife, I was single and making really good money at the time and always had more money than I knew what to do with (hindsight being 20/20, I wish I socked it all away in savings).
So after the dog and pony show, I end up agreeing to pay the guy $500 for a pair of speakers someone could probably get for maybe $50.
After getting them back home and that next weekend having friends over, one friend heard my story of how I got them and broke the news that I had been ripped out.
I was so embarrassed about being taken advantage of like that. I didn't want to believe my other friend was right, so I went online and started searching and found way to many other similar stories that all pointed to it indeed being a scam.
In the end I was only reminded of how I had been duped whenever I'd see the speakers so I just gave them to my friend that was with me when I bought them and replaced them with some "proper" Polk Audio speakers around 2004 that I still have to this day.
I look back at it now and chalk it up to a life lesson that taught me much, so in that regard, perhaps (nah) in the long run it was worth the price...