Hot Pranks & Cons How-Tos

How To: Open an envelope secretly so no one finds out

Opening someone else's mail without permission is a felony offense, but if you really need to read someone else's mail and don't want them to know about it, watch this video. It will show you how to open an envelope and reseal it secretly, protecting you from anger and legal action.

How To: Make a loud paper banger noisemaker

Making paper bangers / poppers is one of the most fun and annoying (to others) things that you can do with a single sheet of paper. This video will show you how to make one in very copious detail by the standards of other paper bomb videos. It may take some practice to get the banging motion right, but once you do this little banger will be very loud. It's also reusable, so you can use the same one to annoy people for weeks! Or until someone rips it. But then you can just make another one!

How To: Prank someone by changing their cell phone numbers

If you want to cause one of your friends some extreme discomfort and possibly ostracization, try doing this to them! This video will explain a simple prank that you can pull when one of your friends / enemies leaves their cell phone unattended in your presence. I won't give it away, but they are sure to feel the wrath of this one and will not be able to blame it on your concretely. Brilliant!

How To: Pick / shim open a padlock with a soda can

There are a lot of different kinds of locks, and you need different easily accessible household material to pick different kinds. This video focuses on teaching you to pick a padlock, familiar to any who have ever had a locker, with a soda can, something you probably have too many of if you still have a locker. You will make a shim out of the can and then use that to open the lock, either single or double-shackle. Get your history book back out of Jimmy Peterson's locker with the technique yo...

How To: Con a free meal from the drive-thru at McDonald's

Want a free meal at McDonald's restaurant? Forget those money-saving (supposedly) weekly coupons, that's nothing compared to an actual free meal. Coupons won't get you that. But this method of free food, perfect for the freegan or the poor (or maybe just the rude). This would technically be qualified as a prank or con, but hey, you got to eat, right?

How To: Lock a deadbolt from the outside with no keys

Do you need to lock the door but don't have the keys? This may happen if you are sharing your keys with someone else, staying at a friend's house, or for a variety of other reasons. Check out this video for a sneaky way to secure that door tight without even sticking a key in the lock.

How To: Cheat on a calculator test with a calculator

Learn how to cheat on a calculator test with a calculator in simple steps. You will need: a scientific calculator, a ruler and a small paper. 1. First remove the cover of your calculator and measure its length and width using the ruler. 2. Now cut a piece of paper with the exact measurements taken from the cover. 3. Write all you need on the paper and fix it in the cover carefully. 4. Make sure the paper does not fall out and then put the cover to the back of your calculator. 5. Finally test ...

How To: Make fake boogers with rubber cement

How To Make Anything demonstrates how to make fake boogers with rubber cement. Find rubber cement in the school supply aisle of any store. First, open the rubber cement and brush it onto a small non-stick surface. Allow the rubber cement to dry. You can blow on it to dry it. Rub off the almost-dried rubber cement from the surface and onto your finger. The rubber cement balls will retain some of its sticky properties to resemble a booger. Remember, don't eat the fake boogers but you can use th...

How To: Pick a Master Lock with a paperclip

In this video the viewers are shown how to pick a Master lock. He starts off by telling his viewers what items they need to start. A tension wrench is made from a pen cap and a pick from his sister's bobby pin. He then demonstrates how to successfully pick the lock. He also suggests another tool you can use, a common household item - a paper clip! After that he shows how easily he is able to pick the lock with the paper clip as well. He explains at the end that Master locks are one of the har...

How To: Create fake monster footprints

Follow Crazy Chris' instructions, and crazy antics to make your own Monster Footprints. All you need is some wet ground, some gullible friends, and a hunk of Styrofoam. Chris shows us how to cut out Styrofoam monster feet, strap them to your shoes, and go tromping through the forest. He uses these fake prints to show how easy it is to make false claims about Big Foot sightings, and explains how no convincing evidence for these creatures has ever been put forward.

How To: Spoof your phone number

Have you ever found yourself calling up a company, only to be denied due to not calling from the number listed on your account? Thanks to a website called Spoofcard, this is no longer an issue! SpoofCard let's you spoof the number you are calling from, as well as modify your voice (Male -> Female or vice versa). Best of all, it all looks completely legitimate.

How To: Easily pick a lock using a bobby pin and paperclip

Did you know that you can pick a padlock using simply a paperclip and bobby pin? All it takes is a little wiggling, tension, and precision, and you should be on your way to opening up a padlock. It's recommended that you only perform this on your own lock as attempting to break into other people's locks is illegal.

How To: Cheat on a test with an eraser

In this video we show you how to take a normal eraser and turn it into a cheating device. As usual, we will do this by taking a common object that no one will think twice about and altering it to fit our needs. Cheating on tests is a serious offense - be careful!

How To: Practice the art of street cons with Michael Shermer

The art of the con is as old as civilization, employing the skills of deception, misdirection, and the psychology of human greed and the desire to get something for nothing. In this episode Shermer employs a professional con artist to teach him the fine art of conning people. He shows a street game where you follow the queen. Unfortunately, you're being scammed. Three card monte will always take your money. It's a straight out con.

How To: Pick a 5 pin padlock with homemade tools

I'm going to show you how to pick a 5 pin padlock with a normal paperclip in this lock picking tutorial. Use a homemade tension wrench and homemade pick using a paperclip. First, take your tension wrench and put it in the bottom of the lock. You will need to keep pressure on it until the lock is picked. Then put the paperclip in the upper part of the lock. Just mess with the pins until the lock opens.

How To: Unlock a Door with a Credit Card

Uh, oh. You’re at your front door without a key. If you’ve got a credit card, see if you can get it to open the door before you use it to pay for a locksmith. Learn how to unlock a door with a credit card. The lock needs to be the right kind of lock & you need to have patience. Learn how to unlock a door with a credit card next time you are locked out!

How To: Choose a pick for locking

What are the names of basic picks? How do you use them? Check out this instructional con video that provides an overview of the basic pins used in lock picking. All picks can be put into two basic categories, raking picks and single pin picking picks. Learn the names of the various picks and how to use them with this tutorial video. Learn the basics and start lock picking like a pro!

How To: Pick a master lock number 5 and 3

Check out this instructional conning video that demonstrates how to pick a master lock number 5 and a master lock number 3. Follow the simple instructions outlined in the video and learn to pick master locks. First you're going to need a standard tension wrench, and some type of picking tool. Soon you'll be lock picking like a pro.

How To: Prevent airplane seats from reclining

There just isn't enough space on airplanes for any one, even those on the shorter end of the spectrum. Top flight nightmares are usually being seated next to a screaming child, a person of large girth, or behind that jerk who reclines their seat for the entire flight. Most people aren't going to respond well to even polite request for courtesy, so that's when a little chair subterfuge comes in handy. Come prepared with a plastic zip tie and this simple trick. Watch this pranking tutorial and ...

How To: Start your scooter without keys

This is a video tutorial that shows you how to start your scooter when you lost your keys. If you're stealing a scooter, then that's your own fault, this is just to show you how to start your little motorcycle without keys, for emergencies. Now, this video is in a different language, but there's text for you to luck at, so follow along.

How To: Perfectly Rickroll a friend or co-worker

Bored at the office? Try out the practical joke in this how-to video. Rick Roll your friends and co-workers. The more you do it, the funnier it gets. You can disguise the link by typing in any random url into the e-mail, right clicking and clicking 'edit hyperlink' then paste the url to the video in the box there and click 'OK.' Check out the video computer pranks tutorial and learn how to Rick Roll. Perfectly Rickroll a friend or co-worker.

How To: Pick a Masterlock with a Swiss Army knife

This video conning tutorial from someone who has seen too many episodes of MacGyver shows how to break into a Masterlock with the help of a handy Swiss Army knife. Watch this video demonstration and learn how to pick a padlock with a Swiss Army knife. You may not be MacGyver, but will the tips from this instructional video and a little bit of practice, you can learn how to pick a lock like him.

How To: Pick a lock with a Swiss army knife

Ever wanted to be just like MacGayver. Well, you can't. And he's not real. But take some consolation in this how-to video. It is really easy to use a Swiss Army knife to open some padlocks. Just insert the thinnest tool into the lock, turn a bit and jiggle up and down. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to break into a lock with just a Swiss Army knife.

How To: Make a Prank Electrified Pen

This how-to video shows a way to rig an ordinary pen to give an unsuspecting victim an electric shock whenever they click it open. To pull of this practical joke you will need a pen and a lighter. Follow along with the steps in this pranking tutorial and learn how to build this shocking pen. You'll have hours of endless fun doing the electric pen joke on your friends. Use this as inspiration for one of your April Fools Day pranks!

How To: Open a padlock with a soda can shim

Watch this video and learn to hack a padlock with a soda can. Make a lockpick for a padlock using just a soda can. A few cuts and folds and you'll be a full fledged thief or prankster. You can pull a pratical joke on any of your friends with the soda can hack after watching this instructional video. Break into lockers using this lock picking hack.