The mechanic strutted across the waiting room like he’d just cracked a murder case, holding a filthy air filter like it was a smoking gun. Problem is, the filter was clean when his customer brought it in. Even worse for him? The “girl” the mechanic tried to con was a 26-year-old Marine who learned car maintenance from her dad and brother—and she wasn’t having it.

The mechanic con started with a dead wasp

Later on Reddit, the customer admitted she looked like an easy mark: 5’3”, blonde hair, and a baby face that “makes me look about 15–16 years old.” She pulled up in a beat-up 2004 Avalon and asked for an oil change. She even had a coupon.

The shop offered a free inspection. She said, “Why not?” After all, “I had pretty recently changed the air filter and brake pads… new serpentine belt too.” Her rotors had “maybe 40k miles on them and were in great condition.”

That’s when Scammy Mechanny made his move. He brought her air filter into the waiting room, hamming it up with a grave look on his face. And what was on the filter? “Dead grass, A DEAD WASP, some dirt, AND HAIR.” According to her, “He really scooped some bulls— off the shop floor and put it in my new air filter to try and freak me out.”

He claimed her car was “about to be completely broken down and also not safe to drive” without $1,500 in repairs: rotors, pads, calipers, belts, AC compressor, and of course, a new filter.

Meanwhile, he’d missed the only thing she admits needed work. “Honestly if he would have caught the thing I knew I DID need that would have helped his case. Struts.” The entire speech sounded suspiciously scripted to her.

The perfect revenge

She played dumb to buy time. “What does the serpentine belt do? Is it important?” Then she texted her dad, “I’m calling in a sec just play along.”

On speakerphone, she launched into a dramatic monologue: “I don’t have the money… he says that it’s dangerous… what am I going to do?” When asked for details, she handed the phone to the mechanic. He rattled off the whole con. Her dad nailed the performance: “Oh wow,” “mmhmm,” “I’m glad you caught this so she’s not in danger anymore.”

Then she dropped the act. “DAD DO YOU HEAR THIS BULLS—?!” The waiting room erupted. “Scammy Mechanny was beet red and completely at a loss for words. Hanging his head and stuttering was his response.”

She made him vacuum the filter and watched him reinstall it. “I sat and watched him put it back once it was clean and also watched him pull my car out.”

The customer could’ve stormed out angry. Instead, she kept her cool and made a tactical decision. For everyone in that waiting room, it was the best free entertainment in town. And an important reminder: always get a second opinion. Check out the original Reddit post embedded below:

Mechanic tries to scam me, receives public embarrassment in return.
byu/drunken-black-sheep inpettyrevenge