Scammed and Furious: How I Fell for a Digital Carnival Barker’s Lies

You’d think by my age I’d be wise enough to dodge a con artist’s pitch, but here I am, seething over two utterly fraudulent purchases that prove the internet is still a wild west of deceit. Two weeks ago, I fell for slick ads on X and Facebook—platforms that should’ve triggered my scam radar from the start. Instead, I got suckered by promises of revolutionary gadgets, only to receive junk that wouldn’t fool a child. Here’s my infuriating tale of being duped by Magfuel and Magvision, and why you should never let your guard down online.

The company behind both these sham products is INF Brands, a name that now makes my blood boil. Their website dazzles with flashy promises and polished marketing, but beneath the surface lies pure skullduggery and thievery. These digital swindlers prey on trust, peddling lies with a smile, and I’m livid for falling into their trap.

Magfuel: A Blinking Rip-Off: The first scam was Magfuel, a so-called “fuel-saving” device peddled with a sob story about some poor inventor trying to help his mom’s car get better mileage. The ad’s polished videos and glowing claims screamed innovation. What did I get instead? A cheap OBD-II plug-in that does nothing but leech power from my car and flash mocking red, yellow, or green lights. I cracked it open, hoping to find some shred of legitimacy, only to discover the “circuitry” was just wires feeding those useless LEDs.

The instructions had the gall to mention a “reset button” you’re supposed to press after plugging it in. A reset button! I jabbed at a tiny hole in the case with a paperclip, feeling like a fool, because there was no button to press—no mechanism, no function, just pure deception. This isn’t a device; it’s a prop, a shiny piece of fummery designed to fleece hopeful buyers like me. I’m livid at the audacity of INF Brands, preying on trust with their fabricated tales and shoddy products.

Magvision: Plastic Lies Masquerading as Innovation: The second scam, Magvision, makes my blood boil even more. These “revolutionary” glasses promised liquid lens technology to seamlessly switch between reading, everyday use, and driving—no more juggling multiple pairs. The ad mentioned a dial to adjust the lenses, which I’d seen in legitimate products, so I took the bait. Foolishly, I ordered two pairs, lured by a deal that seemed too good to be true. Spoiler: it was.

Below similar glasses that I was sent.  Trust me I was charged WAY more than these prices.

When I checked my PayPal, I found two receipts—one for two pairs, another for three, at nearly double the cost. Double-charged! I called INF Brands’ so-called “customer service,” and they had the nerve to tell me they couldn’t cancel until the glasses arrived. Another red flag I ignored in my naive excitement. When the package showed up, I tore it open, only to find flimsy, dollar-store-quality plastic frames with acrylic lenses—fixed, non-adjustable, and utterly useless for anything but reading. Liquid lenses? A blatant lie. These are the kind of cheap reading glasses you’d find in a bargain bin, not some cutting-edge solution. I’m outraged at how shamelessly INF Brands misrepresented this garbage.

The Refund Ruse and a Costly Lesson: I immediately demanded a refund, only to discover—buried in fine print I swear wasn’t there before—that I’d have to pay return shipping. The tracking shows these scams shipped from a Chicago suburb, but reviews I’ve since unearthed (why didn’t I check these first?) suggest I’ll be forced to ship them back to China at triple the cost. It’s a deliberate trap, designed to make refunds more trouble than they’re worth. I’m pinning my hopes on PayPal to resolve this, but even they’ve become a headache to deal with lately. INF Brands and their ilk are thriving, and I’m furious at how they exploit our trust with impunity.

The Takeaway: Don’t Be Me: This whole ordeal has left me feeling like a gullible mark at a carnival sideshow, lured in to “see the elephant” only to be fleeced. My indignation burns not just at INF Brands but at myself for ignoring the signs. So here’s the hard-learned lesson: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Research before you buy—scour reviews, dig into the company, and never let “buying fever” cloud your judgment. Don’t be an idiot like I was. Count your fingers after every online deal, because these digital con artists like INF Brands are out to take more than just your money—they’re stealing your trust, too.

DMMc 6/7/2025