What could possibly be bad about getting something for free? When freebies come with unwanted strings or when they are outright scams, you are wise to turn them down. In order to reap the rewards of freebies and giveaways, it is important to learn how to spot the tell-tale signs of a scam. By taking a few simple cautionary steps, you can avoid these traps that scammers set while still enjoying free products and prizes.
Try some of these tried and true tips to avoiding potential freebie rip-offs:
Never Use Your Personal or Work Email Addresses
Do not let your personal or work email account become flooded with freebie-related mail or unwanted spam. Instead, sign up for a free secondary email through Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail and use this email address for all your freebie offers. This step will prevent the mass email collections sent by spammers from affecting your more commonly used home or work email addresses.
Avoid Giving Out Your Phone Number
In most cases, you should avoid giving out your phone number for freebie offers unless you are absolutely sure that is necessary for some type of notification of winnings. You might try writing (UL) unlisted in the phone number field or you look into sites such as Rejection Hotline to find secondary phone numbers for freebies. This step will thwart those unsolicited phone calls that could potentially drive you mad.
Is it Truly a Freebie?
As you look over the freebie offer, be critical. Is it really a freebie, or is the freebie tied to signing up for another service or product that could lead to hidden charges or commitments? These offers usually have something noting addition commitments, such as (*participation required), meaning that the sponsor will require you to answer survey questions, sign up for other samples or even purchase various other products in order to remain eligible for your gift.
When in doubt, enter a rarely used e-mail address to test these offers out. Oftentimes, the continual onslaught of questions or requirements will make you decide not to continue. Examine these types of offers carefully and reject those that are simply too time consuming. In many instances, these offers involve answering survey after survey only to find out in the end that you don’t even qualify for the free sample.
If the Offer Seems Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
Remember that you are looking for freebies that are truly free; those with no hidden charges or lasting commitments. Watch out for freebies that seem simply too good to be believed. One favorite tactic used by scammers is offer a high-value item, such as an iPod, Xbox or other trendy electronic device under the guise of a free offer.
Ignore That Spam Email
Spam and other unsolicited messages in your email should be marked as junk mail and deleted. Do not even waste your time on worthless, unwelcome offers of winnings or prizes. Some email clients and web services allow you to screen your email, while others have spam filters in place that are quite effective at sorting through junk messages. Remember, cynicism is a good strategy when combating tricks played by freebies scammers. By using a secondary email address you can keep your inbox free and clear.
Receiving freebies is fun, but it is important to keep your eye on the prize and steer clear of freebie scams. By taking a few simple steps to protect yourself, you can feel secure about applying for freebies without worrying about unscrupulous scam artists.
