Keeping Away From Internet’s Free Stuff Scams
The Internet is full of scams, everything from dodgy software to “free” offers that appear too good to be true. Many Web sites thrive on scamming innocent visitors and impressive-sounding gimmicks continue to reel-in the unsuspecting public. Many companies on the Net are waiting to pounce on unsuspecting visitors, and some go to extreme lengths to obtain your e-mail address, home address and perhaps other details. So what tactics should you look out for?
1) Buy something, get something free – If you must purchase something in order to obtain a freebie, you don’t need us to tell you it’s not really free. However, many places on the Net will advertise their so-called freebies in order to get your foot in the door. Remember: if you’d quite like to get your hands on the item, weigh up the benefits of the offer and then decide whether you’d like to proceed or not.
2) Free (and not-so-free) software – Free software comes in many flavors nowadays: freeware, shareware, trials, “donationware”, the list goes on. It’s hardly surprising how many people become confused. Add to this the issues of software security (it may be free, but is it safe?), If you want free software with no restrictions, no annoying “nag” messages and the freedom to distribute to your friends and family, it has to be freeware. These are the only true forms of free software. All others have some form of restriction, whether that is a suggested donation, a trial period, “register your product screens”, or a limited number of features.
3) It’s free – but with participation – We’re not against hard work, but sometimes even the hardest grafters amongst us have to draw the line somewhere. Sometimes referring information to friends, subscribing to newsletters or completing a short survey is a fair deal, especially if the freebie you’ll eventually receive has real benefit or monetary value. Be on the lookout for free stuff that requires participation and then decide for yourself.
4) Free (insert highly priced item here) – If you’ve been surfing the Internet even for a short while, you will have likely seen banners advertising “free iPods”, “free PlayStations”, and so on. They do appear too good to be true. Unless you’re the lucky winner in a competition, hardly anyone is going to give away the latest PlayStation. However, if the offer is legitimate, you are almost certainly going to have to register for third party offers
5) Free with postage and packaging – Some product samples still exist with postage and packaging (or “shipping and handling”) charges. On rare occasions, it is worthwhile to pay the charge if the offer is particularly lucrative. Again, the best advice is to weigh up the benefits and then make a decision.
Tags: Free Stuff Scams