I read a lot of salary-related articles and discussions(due to my startup) and I've seen many examples like yours. This is nothing other than a click-bait scam. It is very unfortunate. You think upfront-listed salaries are a way of eliminate unmet expectations during the interview process. And all you get is companies listing high salaries to attract the top talent and then not honoring the promise.
Don't be so negative. They'll pay you $1xx,000/year...once they raise funding in 3 months.
In all seriousness, I'm not sure why so many people assume that the salaries posted on AngelList should be taken at face value. With minimal due diligence, it's clear that a lot of the startups are unlikely to have enough funding or traction (in the form of revenue) to support the salaries that they purport to be offering. As you pointed out, they're just trying to get warm bodies through the door and hoping a few of them will drink the kool-aid.
Getting someone in the door by lying to them doesn't seem like good round on which to start a relationship. Unless you're desperate, it's stupid to accept an offer where one party started the negotiation by misleading you.
