Are eye excersises to cure your bad vision a scam?!

Eye exercises themselves aren't a scam -- us doctor types recommend them to patients for certain things like convergence insufficiency -- but the ones that claim you can reduce or eliminate your prescription are a scam. If doing exercises could eliminate the need for glasses, do you really think so many people (eye docs included) would be wearing glasses?
That being said, they do occasionally seem to work for the odd patient (like 1/1000), which means there are just enough success stories out there to make people think it might work. But generally, most people don't get any improvement from doing eye exercises.

I'm an optometrist.

For most people who just have poor visual acuity without other eye related disorders, eye exercises won't work to improve your vision. Essentially it is the shape of the eye and how light comes to a focus on the retina. If it hits just right, you have good vision and when it doesn't you need glasses to extend or lengthen this focus of light so you see better, it's just that simple. The actual prescription is a formula for curvature, the correct curves to allow light to bend and focus on the retina. No exercises will correct that aspect of vision.

I suppose It is only a scam when someone is falsely making claims and charging you for it. Many people believe that these programs do work, therefore not a scam technically. Personally I think some have found a nitch and weak willed people will believe almost anything if presented in a certain way.

How is it a scam?

How are they making money from you?

Are your eye movements controlled by muscles?

How can making those muscles stronger be bad for you?

Was your real problem due to weak eye muscles or something else?

Do you expect your doctor to tell you that you do not need to see him / pay him and that you can be cured from a book?

i doubt that you can cure short- or long-sightedness with eye exercises, but if you are crosseyed or have a lazy eye, they will help.