John Mulaney, beloved comedian, Netflix talk show host, and now, victim of an internet scam that should’ve been way more obvious, recently took a wild ride down the highway of humiliation—and it involved none other than legendary hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Let’s set the scene: Mulaney, eager to kick off his new show Everybody’s Live with a bang (or a Bone), decided he absolutely needed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to grace his stage. Because, obviously. So, like any responsible adult with a budget and a dream, he scoured the internet and found a “contact” claiming to represent the group.
Spoiler alert: It was not Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s real manager. It was just some dude on Zoom with an impressive level of audacity.
The Scam Begins
Mulaney and his team hop on a Zoom call, expecting a full-fledged business discussion. But instead of seeing Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, or Flesh-n-Bone, they are greeted by exactly zero Bones. Not even a cartilage. Just some random guy who confidently assured them that, yes, he definitely controlled Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s schedule.
Despite this immediate red flag the size of a Netflix billboard, negotiations continued. The scammer worked his magic, convincing Mulaney that, in order to secure Bone Thugs’ appearance, he needed to hand over $2,800 in cash. Out of his own pocket. Because apparently, Netflix pays their talk show hosts in vibes and exposure.
The “I Need $2,800 for Bone Thugs” Phone Call
Mulaney, a man with financial safeguards in place to protect his sobriety, realized he couldn’t just waltz into an ATM and withdraw that kind of cash. So, naturally, he had to call his wife, Olivia Munn, and make perhaps the most suspicious request in the history of marriage.
“Hi honey, I need $2,800 in cash. Today. For Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.”
As any sane spouse would, Olivia immediately assumed her husband had fallen off the wagon and was now spending thousands on something shady. Which, technically, was true—but not in the way she thought.
Mulaney assured her that, no, this was not a relapse. It was simply a very dumb business decision.
At this point, the scammer must have felt like he was on a roll, because—plot twist—he suddenly decided $2,800 wasn’t enough. Instead, he demanded $100,000.
One hundred. Thousand. Dollars.
For Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
At this point, Mulaney finally had his epiphany: This might be a scam.
Mulaney’s Message to the Scammer
The best part? Mulaney, being the comedic genius he is, had some words for the scammer:
– “First off, respect. I do, indeed, look like someone who would fall for a Bone Thugs-N-Harmony scam.”
– “But you played this wrong, my guy.”
He then laid out a masterclass in how the scammer should have pulled this off:
If the scammer had asked for $50,000 on Monday, dropped it to $25,000 on Tuesday, and then showed up at the show with four random dudes claiming to be Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mulaney would have probably thrown money at them just to make the chaos stop.
But because the scammer got greedy, he now has nothing—while Mulaney still has his $2,800 in cash, a mildly suspicious wife, and a very confused sponsor he now has to call.
Final Takeaway?
If you ever get a random email about booking Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for a bargain price of $2,800, just remember: It’s probably not them. But if it is? Please let John Mulaney know—he’s still trying to get in touch.
