The Top 50 Food Scams That Will Astonish You

Elsa Gone Bad

We all enjoy eating cake, especially on birthdays, because it brings joy. However, if the theme of the cake isn’t well-researched, it can spoil a party and dampen a child’s spirits. This Frozen-themed cake is a prime example of a cake provider’s misstep.

If the baker had studied Elsa, they likely would have done a better job with the decoration. Another theory we considered is that the baker did research but lacked the artistic talent to create an attractive cake.

Regardless of the situation, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea to do thorough research before hiring someone.

Misleading Sandwich

When we purchase a sandwich, we usually anticipate it will be filled because that’s the norm. That’s why we were completely shocked to find this empty meal. The advertiser certainly knew how to deceive someone. When viewed from the shelf, you’d expect the sandwich to be packed with ham and cheese.

Regrettably, this wasn’t the case when the person opened the package. This strategy might have worked for the brand, but it likely damaged their overall credibility. After all, would you buy from a company that sells bread under the guise of a ham and cheese sandwich?

The Deceptive Packaging

Who doesn’t enjoy a box of chocolates filled with delightful treats? Well, the answer is everyone except for the one who purchased this product. We all would have thought each row would be fully filled with chocolate. However, the packaging was intentionally designed to deceive the consumer.

What was visible through the transparent section was actually all that the person received. An overpriced box of chocolates that wasn’t worth the cost is both disappointing and frustrating. Imagine if you had purchased this item and given it as a gift to someone.

The covering strategy was clever, but surely companies should consider hiring more adept marketing consultants.

A Remarkable Marketing Technique

It’s well known that we’re tempted to buy a tin of Oreos because of its elegant appearance and larger quantity. However, this box was merely a smart marketing strategy to get people to purchase a six-pack of Oreos. We would speculate that this tin was more costly than the regular biscuit package.

We sympathize with the person who believed they were getting a container loaded with Oreos. It was surprising that a renowned brand would use such a deceptive tactic. This is why it’s important to be cautious when buying fancy treats.

A Bottle Half-Full

Optimists often advise people to view the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. We would definitely offer this advice to those who purchased this partially filled spice container. The person in charge of packaging this jar was clever, as the label effectively concealed the fact that the spice quantity was less than claimed.

Fortunately, it seems this person noticed early, as this photo was taken in the supermarket. They must have experienced many food scams before; otherwise, who would think to check the spice quantity by turning the bottle?

A Snack Not to be Judged By Its Appearance

We often buy products based on their packaging. However, you should avoid purchasing this poppy seed brioche because it is barely filled. According to consumers, the snack only contains a bit of poppy seed filling in the center. Incidents like these make us cautious about all brands.

Furthermore, marketing experts shouldn’t overhype the description. Although many might have purchased the snack, the brand’s overall credibility has been damaged. Therefore, if you spot this brioche on store shelves, make sure to steer clear of buying it.

The Box With Absent Jerky

Beef jerky is a product many of us purchase from grocery stores because it is easily accessible. However, it’s advisable to avoid this specific brand unless you’re only looking for eight small pieces of beef jerky. The top sticker was intentionally placed to conceal that the middle of the box was empty.

The person who posted this picture was quite frustrated with the situation. But if you closely examine it, the brand was not as deceitful. Anyone who checked the weight on the container would have noticed that there wasn’t much inside. This person just discovered it the hard way.

The Candy Meant to Be Frightening

Paleta Payaso is a popular snack among children and some adults. Generally, the treat inside the package is meant to be distinctive and look like a clown. Occasionally, it might appear frightening, which is why it was surprising to find such a humorous treat in the package.

This might not seem like a typical food scam, but it all depends on your expectations. If you’ve had the candy before, you would find this amusing and relate to the person’s disappointment. But, even if you haven’t, it’s likely you would have expected a clown. Well, sorry to let you down.

The Cone Without Ice Cream

Have you ever had packaged ice cream cones before? If so, you should know that this picture is missing some ice cream. The chocolate ice cream should reach the top of the cone.

The picture shows that the treat was opened recently, but the ice cream is shorter than the usual height.

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a trustworthy brand due to these kinds of food scams and others. We’re just glad we weren’t in this person’s shoes.

Reduced Lindt

Lindt is a well-known brand of chocolates known for being expensive and high-quality, so it was surprising to find out about this deception. Originally, the box in the picture used to contain five pieces. However, Lindt unexpectedly started selling it with only four chocolates. Additionally, the brand increased the box’s length, giving the impression of a higher quantity. This packaging led the person in the picture to purchase it, but they were disappointed upon realizing at home that Lindt had reduced the quantity without prior notice.

A Tomato the Size of a Burger

Most items on this list involve food mistakes because of missing ingredients or other issues. However, this one is different as it involves a burger-sized tomato. The customer had asked the waiter for extra tomatoes in their fast food order.

Instead, the restaurant chose to be generous by using one large tomato instead of several small ones. As you can see, it’s the same size as the burger and takes up more space than the patty.

Therefore, the maker decided to trick people into thinking the burger was larger. It worked for many, but it also disappointed many because the taste was changed.

The Two-Sprinkle Doughnut

We have developed several theories about this peculiar donut with two sprinkles. One theory is that this treat was originally not meant to have any sprinkles. Consequently, someone accidentally dropped the two sprinkles while applying the frosting. In addition, some propose that the donut was intended to be a strawberry sprinkle donut.

However, the chef chose not to add the sprinkles at the last minute, which explains how the two sprinkles ended up on it. It’s important to note that all of this is merely speculation. Regardless of what happened with this donut, we hope the recipient enjoyed what they received.

The Package Containing Just One Broccoli

This food scam exemplifies why we recommend purchasing vegetables with clear packaging or from a trusted market. The individual in this picture was stunned when they purchased a package of broccoli florets for their meal.

To their surprise, the package contained only a single large piece of the vegetable, which was insufficient and overpriced. This shocking experience prompted the consumer to share a photo online to alert others. Therefore, if you ever want broccoli florets, make sure not to buy from this brand. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself making another trip to the store.

What would you like as a side dish?

Nowadays, restaurants seem to take instructions very seriously and literally. The couple in this picture ordered sour cream as a side for their tacos. Looking at the picture, you can guess where the restaurant messed up. Yes, you guessed it correctly.

Instead of providing the dip on the side, an employee applied it to the actual sides of the tacos. The couple found this mistake amusing and didn’t reprimand the restaurant. However, that doesn’t mean food establishments shouldn’t be careful with instructions. After all, the next customer might not be as forgiving.

Reduced chips, increased air

It’s well known that chip manufacturers often fill half of the packets with air to make them appear larger. However, Doritos took this a step further by launching a new package that seemed more filled. Yet, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the weight in grams of both the smaller and larger packs is identical.

This marketing tactic frustrated many customers who looked at the gram values. Naturally, when this image was shared online, it caught the attention of many others. This highlights the importance of brands being cautious when attempting to mislead customers. We always pay attention to the small details.

The Bagel Lacking Vegetables

This is a food mishap that we are still trying to understand. At first glance, nothing might seem wrong, but when you see the right pictures, you’ll notice that the other side is missing vegetables. It could have been an honest mistake by the vendor, but it might also be an attempt to scam the customer.

Regardless, the person who got this bagel was certainly disappointed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have posted the picture to highlight the error. We hope this never happens to you or us. We would indeed be upset because of the missing veggies.

Ice Cream Flavored Like Oreos Without Actual Oreo Pieces

Anyone craving Oreo ice cream on this particular day found their expectations unmet, as the carton contained plain vanilla ice cream instead. According to the consumer, there wasn’t even a trace of Oreo in the dessert. The cookie brand seems to have a reputation for deceiving customers.

Previously, we highlighted the issue with Oreo tins, and now this ice cream incident has occurred. We advise that purchasing from this brand should be done with caution. If this had happened to us, we would be upset about not receiving our preferred flavor.

Poor Advertising

Do you think a popcorn brand is running a food scam? If so, you’re not the only one. We initially thought the same until we looked deeper. This product is not about selling popcorn, but rather the cardboard container.

The actual item being sold is the popcorn box, with the packet inside being just a bonus. The idea is to provide you with a container that you can refill to your liking.

Evidently, the marketing team didn’t do a great job. Many people ended up purchasing the box under the impression that they were getting a large packet of popcorn.

The Bacon for $6

Many people frequently order an extra side at restaurants. The individual in this picture ordered bacon that cost $6. Because of this, they expected more pieces of bacon. Unfortunately, they were only given this small portion of bacon, which disappointed them significantly.

You might think the bacon doesn’t look small in the picture, but you’d be wrong. The camera was held close to the dish, making it appear larger than it actually is. This is one reason why sides should be chosen carefully at restaurants. A high price doesn’t always mean a large portion.

Cinnamon Bagel Made With The Incorrect Ingredient

Cinnamon bagels are meant to be plain and don’t have extra ingredients. However, this product strayed from the standard recipe and contained two raisins. The person who opened the bagel was surprised and briefly thought they had purchased a raisin bagel. Normally, this isn’t something to worry about, as the raisins can be removed.

However, if someone were allergic to the ingredient and ate the bagel without opening it, it could have led to issues. Since brands don’t seem to be cautious, we advise you to be vigilant. Therefore, always inspect bagels before eating them to prevent unexpected surprises.

A burrito missing its center.

When the person who purchased this burrito first saw it, they thought it would satisfy their hunger because of its length. However, when they opened the packaging, they realized the burrito was not intact. It had been cut into two pieces placed at the ends, and the middle section, which would have made the burrito long, was missing.

This food deception disappointed the consumer and made them regret their purchase. We only hope that no one else experiences this because the burrito does not appear sufficient to fill an adult’s stomach.

What You Desire Versus What You Receive

On social media, you can find numerous memes about food expectations versus reality. Many eateries tend to embellish when promoting a new dish or offer. This image is an ideal illustration of how letdown a restaurant can be. The individual ordered a platter of nachos, hoping it would match the promotional image.

They were unaware that the place would skimp on the sauce and meat as toppings. We might point out the positive aspect that the customer received more nachos than anticipated. However, the necessity of eating without sauce takes away from it all.

A wrap with minimal filling

Many people enjoy buying wraps for breakfast or lunch because they’re quick to eat and satisfying. However, this individual experienced a letdown when they discovered their wrap was filled to less than a quarter of its length. They had requested that the egg not be included.

However, the restaurant failed to inform them that the egg constituted a significant portion of the filling. Thus, the wrap seemed lacking without it. Only two slices of bacon were placed in the center, and not even half a slice of cheese was added to make up for the absence of the egg.

The Misleading Chocolate Chip Muffin

When you order a chocolate muffin, you might expect it to consist of a batter made with melted chocolate chips or to have chocolate as an internal or external topping. Unfortunately, in this instance, the sweet treat lacked both, which is disappointing in many ways. No one wants to buy a chocolate chip muffin that turns out to be just a vanilla one.

What’s even more disappointing and insulting is that the manufacturers included only a single chocolate chip inside. We would have preferred they didn’t include any. This indicates they don’t care about satisfying customers and couldn’t be bothered to make an effort.

An Unfortunate Cannoli

Cannoli is a sweet Italian dessert that features a fried pastry shell filled with various ingredients. The item shown in this picture is a subpar version of cannoli, which disrespects the original dish. The filling in this pastry doesn’t appear to cover it fully.

This is disappointing, given that the dish is generally costly. Our sympathies go out to the person who made the order. If they had tried cannoli before, they were likely let down. However, if they hadn’t, they might have been somewhat impressed.

The Betrayal on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a significant occasion for many couples around the world, which is why everything needs to be perfect. Unfortunately, when this guy’s girlfriend thought of a good gift, she decided to buy conversation hearts that didn’t end up being as great as she expected.

These conversation hearts were meant to have romantic messages on them. As you can see, they don’t have any writing. Additionally, some of the hearts are not well-shaped. This is why you shouldn’t buy something you haven’t seen as a gift. At least, the guy found it amusing when he shared this picture.

Incorrect Sushi

Nigiri sushi is a popular Japanese dish in the United States, so sushi restaurants are quite common in the country. When someone ordered avocado nigiri, they expected to receive sushi seasoned or filled with avocado sauce.

However, it was a big surprise when the restaurant presented avocados lined up on a leaf instead of sushi. This is one of the most disappointing things that could happen. We bet the customer wasn’t pleased when they were served just avocados instead of a complete meal. Had we been in their place, we wouldn’t have been satisfied either.

Excellent packaging, poor content

We all enjoy having garlic bread as a side with pasta, pizza, and various other dishes. This is why garlic bread-based snacks are quite popular too. However, this packet of garlic bread chips doesn’t live up to its packaging expectations. You might have expected the snack to look like the actual dish.

In terms of shape, it does resemble garlic bread. But the color and taste of the chips don’t match. It’s hard to call this snack garlic bread. This picture perfectly illustrates how effective packaging can facilitate the sale of a poor-quality product.

A Cookie Package With Incorrect Image

We all understand that the images on snack packaging often differ somewhat from the actual product. However, in this instance, the cookie inside the package is completely different from the photograph shown on the package. The main difference is that the cookie inside is a chocolate biscuit with two chocolate chips.

In contrast, the image on the package depicts a vanilla cookie loaded with numerous chocolate chips. It is difficult to determine which is incorrect in this situation. Was there an error when the packaging company printed the image? Or did the manufacturers mistakenly seal the wrong biscuits? Whatever the case, it likely disappointed someone who purchased this snack.

A salad priced at $5

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be expensive, especially when it comes to ordering salads. It’s frustrating when what you receive is just tomatoes with a few onions. Someone ordered a tomato salad for $5, but it seems like the restaurant didn’t put much thought into offering this dish.

This salad appears to overcharge those trying to make healthier choices instead of opting for fast food. After all, you could easily slice tomatoes at home for free. At least the restaurant used two different types of tomatoes.

More Ice, Less Drink

This tactic by beverage sellers has been employed by fast-food chains for ages. Locations tend to fill the cup with less than half of the actual drink, compensating by adding lots of ice. Fortunately, we’ve got a tip to help you avoid falling for this trick.

When ordering takeout or delivery, include a note to leave out the ice or provide it separately. This works because you likely have ice in your freezer at home. Plus, drinks are always served chilled to some degree.

The Unsatisfactory Sweet Treat

Blueberry muffins are delicious and can easily boost your spirits on a bad day. That’s what we believed until we saw this picture of a blueberry muffin that turned out to be mostly plain. There is some frosting on top, along with the fruit, which makes it look appealing.

However, when the person cut the muffin in half, they realized there were no blueberries inside. The treat was also missing cream, which disappointed the consumer. This is why you should never purchase something just because it looks nice.

Appearances can be very deceiving, and this is exactly what this blueberry muffin shows us.

False Advertising

Seafood enthusiasts were likely eager to buy this jumbo shrimp tray. However, the brand falsely advertised and did not fulfill its promise of providing jumbo shrimp. They used the packaging strip to deceive people into purchasing the product. The shrimp had been split in the middle, with the pieces placed at the two far edges.

This enabled the seller to conceal the empty part of the tray with the label strip. As a result, customers believed they were getting a fair deal on the jumbo shrimp, but in truth, they paid more than they received. It’s disappointing, and our sympathies go out to the buyers.

Unfinished Sour Sticks

Children and young adults are very fond of sour sticks, which is why they are widely available in the market. Unfortunately, this snack is also susceptible to being produced by fraudulent brands. This picture perfectly illustrates this issue. The sticks in this tray were meant to be the entire length of the box. However, as shown, they were cut short and filled only about three-quarters of the package. This is disappointing because people often crave more sour sticks. Additionally, the child who received this might have spent the day feeling upset.

The Broccoli Package Without Broccoli

We truly sympathize with the person who chose to prepare their meal using this broccoli package. This is because it was missing the primary ingredient it was meant to include. The producers packed the package with broccoli stems rather than the florets.

Although stems do contain some nutrients, they aren’t suitable for use in dishes due to their texture. As a result, a deceptive practice by the brand spoiled someone’s meal. This situation is yet another reason to steer clear of purchasing frozen vegetable packets. They are not only costly but also carry major risks. On the other hand, fresh produce available in the market is a more reliable choice.

A Single Blueberry for an Entire Packet of Blueberry Granola

It appears that people often resort to deceptive practices with blueberry products, as this is the third instance mentioned here. When purchasing this blueberry granola, you would expect it to have both ingredients in roughly equal amounts. However, the manufacturer missed this expectation, resulting in a flawed snack.

There’s no question that the packet is full of granola. But when it comes to blueberries, there’s just a single tiny piece visible in the picture. According to the person, the packet contained granola with some flavoring that mimicked the taste of blueberries.

The Can With An Opening

This unexpected issue with the food surprised and indeed shocked us. Normally, a can of tomato paste is completely full up to the top. However, this can exceeded all expectations by having a large hole in the center that extends to the bottom of the tin.

If this tomato paste had been filled from the middle, the consumer might have been able to use it for a longer time. Unfortunately, they ended up with a section of tin. The only thing left for us to ponder is how the hole might have formed. If the company did it intentionally, then we hope they face legal action for it.

With additional sauce

Burgers can be quite tasty when they include our favorite sauces. In this image, you see a burger missing BBQ sauce. Interestingly, the customer had explicitly asked for extra sauce to be added.

Either the employee didn’t pay attention while taking the order, or the kitchen failed to follow the instructions. Regardless, someone’s favorite meal ended up being spoiled.

In any case, the burger looks dry and small. Even the onion rings appear smaller than usual. All we can say is good luck in avoiding such disappointments.

The Chocolate Accident

Are you curious about what’s off with this image? The packaging and the actual filling differ significantly. The packet might entice you to purchase the product due to the extra chocolate. However, appearances can be deceiving. As shown in the picture, the real cookie has very little filling.

It only has a thin line of chocolate cream, which isn’t even melted. This is ironic since that’s not how the cookie is intended to be. For example, it’s called Milano Melt, which further highlights that the chocolate should indeed be melted.

The Styrofoam Technique

A mug filled with candy seems like a great bargain until you discover that the candy was never actually in the mug. Instead, it was placed on styrofoam inside the cup to make it look appealing and plentiful. If we were the marketers, we would have put all the treats inside the cup to satisfy the customers and encourage them to return for more.

However, we suspect that after reading this article, you might not want to purchase one of these products. There is one positive aspect, though. At least the buyer got to enjoy some Jolly Ranchers instead of none.

The Chocolate Wafer Roll Without Chocolate

This is another example of misleading packaging that has fooled many people over the years. The wafer roll on the package appears to be filled with melted chocolate. However, in reality, it is dry and doesn’t contain that much chocolate. In fact, the actual wafer rolls have some hollow space in the middle.

This is why relying on a photograph is never a good idea when buying products. They are only used for advertising and do not reflect the quality or quantity of the item. We sincerely hope that this type of deception stops in the coming years.

The Most Terrible Birthday Ever

Birthdays are typically filled with happiness and laughter, as they are a reason to celebrate. However, the child at this party was not pleased because he received a styrofoam cake. It may take a moment to notice, but that empty white platform in the picture was meant to be a cake, not just a platform.

When the cake arrived, the family was initially pleased with its size and decoration. It appeared nice from the outside, which fooled everyone. This is why we always advise people to order from trustworthy and genuine sources, by reading reviews and seeking recommendations.

The Production Error

Candy is delightful when it’s at its best. However, everything seems off with the one in this picture. The product hasn’t been made properly, and it’s apparent. The two strips should be joined so that both colors can be enjoyed together.

However, an error was made during manufacturing because the two strips are separate. It’s surprising since this snack brand is well-known, making it hard to believe they’d make such a simple mistake. We also question whether the candy is indeed a foot long as stated on the package.

The Costly Piece of Cake

Cheesecakes are tasty and generally more expensive than regular cakes. However, this slice takes it to a new level of being overpriced. It costs $10, which is quite high for a single slice of cake. On top of that, the size of the slice is pretty small.

Usually, cake slices are large triangles that occupy most of the space in this kind of plastic packaging. Whoever bought this dessert was probably tricked or had a strong craving.

Otherwise, no one would have spent $10 for such a thin slice of cheesecake. Hopefully, the flavor was exceptional to justify the steep price.

Onions Disguised as Fish

At first glance, the picture appears flawless, and you might not believe it’s a food scam. However, this assumption is incorrect, as the package, which is supposed to be fish, mostly contains onions. This is a packet of frozen fish available in many grocery stores.

The buyer assumed there was plenty of fish because the box looked full. However, upon opening it, they discovered that the contents were primarily onions, not fish. Only the thin outer rolls encasing the vegetables were made of seafood.

Pancakes with an Incorrect Name

Pancakes can be found in many flavors that greatly enhance the dessert. However, these cookies and cream pancakes are different from any you’ve encountered. The customer paid an additional $2 to upgrade to the premium flavor but felt insulted by the restaurant’s offering.

The establishment merely placed an Oreo cookie on top of the pancake and considered it done. This act might warrant the restaurant being banned for misleading customers. This image does not represent what cookies and cream pancakes should look like. Moreover, the box is too small for the dish and needs improvement as well.

The Unfresh Meal

Schools have a responsibility to be considerate and respectful toward their students. Therefore, we were appalled to witness a student’s lunch that was nearly inedible and stale. To make matters worse, the child had to pay $3.25 for this pizza.

We sincerely hope the child declined to eat this slice of pizza. Firstly, it appears too old to be fresh, posing a health risk to the students. Anyone who consumed this pizza likely ended up in the hospital later with food poisoning. Here’s hoping that the school administration takes greater care with their cafeteria.

An Inexpensive Way to Make Chicken Strips

Chicken strips are chunks of crispy fried chicken that are commonly offered as a side dish by many eateries and fast-food joints. However, this place has come up with a novel approach to the dish. They essentially fry a standard smooth chicken patty and then slice it into four strips.

After the patty is cut, the restaurant calls it chicken strips. We think serving this dish to customers is a crime, as a patty cannot match the classic crispy fried chicken strips. What’s more, it costs more than the usual patty dishes. Consequently, this deception surely left the customer disappointed.

Fries Without the Cheese

Fries are one dish we thought couldn’t go wrong. However, this restaurant proved us wrong by serving us the worst cheese fries we’ve ever seen. It looks like they just placed a slice of cheese over the fries and microwaved it to melt.

Naturally, the cheese didn’t melt well in the microwave. Instead, it shrank and hardened somewhat during delivery. Whoever ordered this likely regretted it when they received the package. If it were us, we probably would have refused to accept or pay for such a poor order.

Concession Stand Rip-off

Stadiums prohibit bringing outside food in order to increase sales of their overpriced meals. Anyone who’s attended an event there knows that stadium food is one of the most common rip-offs around. This burger exemplifies our point precisely.

It cost the individual $10 and lacked any sauce. There was just a single slice of tomato, and the patty wasn’t even big enough to cover the whole bun. Overall, this burger is neither attractive nor satisfying, which is disappointing given its $10 price tag. This is why you shouldn’t rely on stadiums to provide anything worthwhile.