Exponential Value
U/Schwerlin: “A local restaurant chain near me ran a special where every purchase gains you points, and every 100 points you get a $10 discount on your next purchase. It turns out to do this, they would just credit $10 to your account, which was usable when you used their rewards card.
So I purchased a $100 gift card, and got $110 in value. Then I used the $100 gift card to buy another $100 gift card, and now had $120. I stopped there once I confirmed the loophole, and the staff was laughing pretty hard about it. The rules quickly changed.”
Fast Money
“I received a letter from the bank stating that I owe them $10,000 for a loan I never took out. Panicked, I called the bank to sort out the mistake. Me: There seems to be a mistake. I never took out a loan for $10,000. Bank Rep: Ma’am, our records show that the loan was approved on your account. Me: Well, I’m telling you, I never applied for a loan. Check again.
Bank rep: I can check the system but it looks like you did take out this loan. After I protested my innocence, I explained that I have never taken out a loan in my life and that this would negatively affect my future credit score. I demanded that they credited my account with the $10,000 in question, which to my surprise, they agreed with. I used the money to go on my dream vacation and never looked back.”