In addition to what the others have said, the class of "Newcomblike problems" does map to real-world scenarios. I do agree that insufficient effort has been spent describing such situations though, which is why I'm compiling examples for a possible article. Here's a peak at what I have so far:

• The decision of whether to shoplift is a real-life Newcomb's problem. It is easy to get away with, and your decision does not cause (in the technical sense) the opportunity to exist (the "box" to be "filled"). However, merchants only locate stores ("fill the box") where they predict people won't (in sufficient numbers) take this opportunity, and their accuracy is high enough for retailing to stay profitable in the aggregate.

• Evolution and its "genetic" decision theories: You could just be selfish and not spend resources spreading your genes (thus like stiffing the rescuer in Parfit's Hitchhiker); however, you would not be in the position to make such a choice unless you were already selected for your propensity not to make such a choice. (My article on the matter.)

• Hazing, akrasia, and abuse cycles (where being abused motivates one to abuse others) are real-life examples of Counterfactual Mugging, since your decision within a "losing branch" has implications for (symmetric) versions of yourself in other branches.

• Expensive punishment. Should you punish a criminal when the cost to do so exceeds the value of all future crimes they could ever commit? If you don't, you save on the costs of administering the punishment, but if criminals expect that this is sufficient reason for you not to punish, they have no reason not to commit the crimes. The situation is parallel to that of whether you should pay ransoms or other extortioners. (This has a non-obvious connection to Newcomb's problem that may require explanation -- but I elaborate in the link.)