The Grifter is a notorious internet urban legend and creepypasta that originated on 4chan’s /x/ board around 2009. It centers on a supposedly 'soul-crushing' video that was rumored to be so disturbing that it caused viewers to experience extreme psychological distress. While the video itself was eventually revealed to be an elaborate hoax, the distorted, high-contrast image of a person’s face—often linked to footage from the film 'Little Otik'—became an iconic meme. Today, the template is used to represent feelings of existential dread, the discovery of unsettling information, or to ironically mock modern social media 'grifters' by juxtaposing their behavior with this horrific imagery.