We’ve all been thru this. An advertising on the internet or on the TV tells you all about some product and offers you to get a FREE sample of whatever they’re pushing! Since you like what they are selling you decide to take them up on their FREE Sample offer! So now you go thru all the entering of the information they need to get you your sample. Notice that this is information than could be used by Scammers readily. Included in this information is your Credit card information. Now, why would the seller need your Credit Card number or other payment data if the item is supposed to be FREE? Well, Folks these advertisers are really pulling a fast one on you. First, notice that they want you to pay a ‘small’ shipping and handling fee. If you were to check the cost of this ‘shipping and handling’ fee and compare it to the price of the advertised item you’d find that ‘shipping and handling’ is actually more than the cost of the item. So, ask your self is it really free? In addition to that if you read the advertisement carefully you’ll find that by agreeing to try the ‘free’ sample you’ll also be subscribed to some sort of periodical (usually monthly) delivery of the product at some outrageous cost! And of course the seller is banking on the fact that most people forget about this until they see an entry in their checking account (or they receive a bill/invoice) for the next installment of the product! This is true for Television Advertising also. In a television ad this is usually hidden in the fine print at the bottom of the Ad that no one can read in the short period of time that it is being displayed! Even if this info were to stay visible for minutes you’d have problems reading it because it is in ‘fine print’ so small that makes it virtually impossible to read!
So is this really FREE? When you enter your ‘shipping’ information be very cautious as that info could fall into the wrong hands and you’ll wind up having your identity compromised! Oh, you say, but the advertiser has these symbols saying the data you’re sending is protected/encrypted! Well, these symbols can be copied from anywhere to let you THINK your data is safe.
So, my suggestion is: Think hard and twice before trying something for FREE! Remember the old saying: “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH“! Now if you’re ready to do some serious shopping click here!
And that Folks is WHAT I THINK!
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