Free _____ offer that are not so free. 01232012
Have you been getting free offers from everything like Pizza Hut to Outback or a chance to review your favorite web site like FaceBook?
Does the email look like this:
| What’s your opinion of Outback Steakhouse? Tell us for a $500 Gift Card! | |
 |
Re:$500 Gift Card for s*****@aol.com
Congratulations! You’ve been selected to take our survey to receive a $500 Gift Card to Outback Steakhouse! To begin, simply take our short survey then follow the instructions on our site before this offer expires! Dinner for two awaits you. . . Thank you for your participation, Sincerely, Retail Survey Central |
| What’s your Opinion of Outback Steakhouse? Tell us for a $500 Gift Card! | |
 |
|
As you may have already figured out these are fake ads. Now I have been told by people that if you do what they want you to do you get your free Gift Card, Cell Phone, iPod, iPad, Dell Computer, Gas Cards, Free Food…. The list could go on forever. Now why do I say these are fake because the companies being used to get your attention have no association with these organizations in most cases, it even says it in the fine print when it is included in the email or link. This is a form of Phishing, and it will also propagate more unwanted email if you follow the links.
In researching this at Outback I found that outback has set up a page on their site, Fraud Alerts, to help consumers understand legitimate Outback offers and the fake ones as well as their statement about trying to pursue the companies responsible for the misleading promotions.
Why am I restating some obvious stuff, because these emails would not continue to circulate if people were not completing them. By the way these scams have been done in links on FaceBook, spam sent through Twitter and many other social outlets.
My grandma Ann said it best when I was little if it is too good to be true it is probably not good at all. And, yes she also said “There is no such thing as Free Lunch”.
More scam news from the techies at www.end2endsupport.com.
Copyright 2014 Simply Reliable Solutions, llc and E2 Computers.
