Man lost $400 to a Craigslist appliance scam — so he made the seller haul two dryers to a fake sale 40 miles away during rush hour

Revenge is a rewarding feeling, especially when outsmarting a scammer. In fact, Homer, a famous poet, wrote in his poem, "The Iliad," that revenge is “sweeter than dripping honey.” Whether it heals the pain the betrayed person has felt or intensifies it, no one knows, but it surely acts like instant noodles, offering the avenger instant relief. On July 7, 2026, in a Reddit post, a Craigslist buyer (u/outrageous-candy-576) recalled being scammed by a seller on the app. Even though they couldn’t get their $400 back, they satisfied their heart’s agony by taking petty revenge.

Dirty laundry deal

The author said they were tricked into buying a defective washing machine for $400. The man stayed for a demonstration and left, assured that the machine was working fine. But after the payment, when the author restarted the machine, they realized that its rinse cycle wasn’t working properly. They spent two hours trying to fix the machine, and when they messaged the seller, he became unresponsive. It was clear at this point that the person had been conned.

The author knew that they couldn’t retrieve their money back. So, instead, they let their vindictive mind play out and have some catharsis. "I sent him an email on one of my burner email accounts asking if he can deliver 2 hunky old dryers to me. I'll pay extra," the author recalled. They informed the scammer that they were 40 miles away and scheduled the meeting for 3 pm.  

The ultimate payback

Little did the seller know that he was about to taste his own medicine. The clock rolled along to 3:10 pm, then 3:30 and eventually 3:45, and the author kept the seller on a spin cycle by telling him that they were stuck in traffic. Then they asked him to unload the dryers so it would be quick and easy for them to tow them in their car. At 4:30 pm, finally, the irate seller texted them that he was returning with the goods. The author felt a monstrous relief drip over them. “I lost $400, but man! It felt good to waste a scammer's time,” they confessed.

Revenge is bitter(sweet)

In a conversation with TheSkimm, neurologist Dr. David Chester explained that revenge is like a dopamine high that often gives the avenger an instant “spike” of pleasure but is soon followed by a crash, leaving them less happy and more bitter in the long run. Revenge, essentially, is not just sweet but bittersweet, as researchers at Washington University also stated. Yet, a 2022 study, cited in Psychological Reports, found that 97% of surveyed individuals harboured thoughts of revenge. Only 19% of them acted on these thoughts. After all, the wild, sweet feeling it gives the avenger cannot be denied, probably because it uplifts their status from a powerless victim to a powerful one.

'Do it again'

Meanwhile, a rumpus of Reddit readers cooked up coinciding thoughts with the author and asked them to keep on repeating their plan to scam the scammer. Many said that wasting a scammer’s time is a special flavor of petty that is very intoxicating. u/ImaginaryPark6311 said, “Yes, please keep doing this. Mix it up each time and make it a week apart. Hilarious.” u/Puta_Poderosa commented, "Haha, this reminds me of a story my dad told me about doing exactly this to a scammer in the 70s, but he sat across the street in a cafe, and every time he saw the guy was getting ready to leave, he’d call the phone booth next to him and tell him he was almost there. In winter in Chicago."

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