As an autistic individual, I have not been cognizant when making purchases that include minor details or not understanding the ability to see beyond the gratification of the present moment. It can be hard for an autistic adult to understand what is seen as a “catch” or what is a sensible purchase or action that results in further recurring actions.

First and foremost it is not our fault as autistic adults when we are not educated in when there is great temptation in the world to buy or sign up for a product when we may not have the cognition to understand or know that the finer details may include many recuring actions that may be in emails, snail mail or recuring bank withdrawals, especially if it is free or a highly discounted amount for an initial trial period.

In the mind of the autistic individuals that need things explained to them in details, but the world is pressuring everyone regardless of neurotype to jump into things without giving the opportunity to process the details of what they are agreeing to can add more stress or an unwanted outcome down the road. Too much of the sales world is not as focused on the customer as it needs to be and not as much on the services that they are providing.

There are also many catchy things with the technology that is out there today that can be quite deceiving and deceptive in nature to cause anyone to be caught in a scam because to someone who cannot be unbiased in nature and only want the solution or happiness they desire or may not be able to communicate their feelings in a transparent way, it can lead to  individuals being victimized because they can see as if there is no way out, even if that means having to be honest about their mistakes due to the simple fact that they don’t want to be in the wrong or feel ashamed about the mistakes that they made, even if they are scared, they will do things that they may not even want just to not have to have to cause strife in a conversation.

Regardless, it is important to always be cautious when doing something that may seem “too good to be true” because it can be hard to harness away from things that may seem to find spectrumfolk the happiness they desire without seeing the reality behind the action necessary that could also lead to other needs not being met. This is a particular issue when one lives independently and is responsible for their financial matters. It can be hard when things are not grasped into control and understood, especially if they are not a priority for daily living and could result in negative consequences, reactions, or behavior.

In the end, it is important to address the budgeting and scamming education early on to properly educate autistic individuals the proper ways to be wary of things that sound too good to be true and take caution when there are things that do not sound safe to them.