There are multiple advertisements in the Internet like “Get a Free $1000 Best Buy Gift Card“. Beware! It’s a fraud! In fact these scammers will suck more than $1000 out of you, and what is even more important – you may experience what identity lost is, and will receive just a piece of plastic instead of promised gift card.
The simple reason why it can’t be true is “It is extremely good to be true“. This single reason should turn you away from this scam right at the moment you see it. Let’s see how they work.
Here is an example of such an advertisement in the Internet at http://ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com/
Looks great, right?
What you see here is:
- “Enter your E-mail Address”
- “Participation Required. Click for Details” – it is almost invisible comparing to the main offer
So many people may think that if it is even a scam, they can only steal your e-mail address and ask to fill some survey. So, you provide “e-mail for spam” address.
But let’s scroll down a bit:
Are you able to read anything here?… It tells:
By entering your email and continuing, you certify that you are a US resident over the age of 18 and that you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. You agree to receive promotional emails and special offers from trusted 3rd parties.
ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com is an independent rewards program and not associated with any of the above listed merchants or brands.ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com is solely responsible for all reward fulfillment. In order to receive your reward you must: (1) Meet the eligibility requirements (2) complete the survey (3) complete a total of 10 Reward Offers as stated in the Terms & Conditions (4) not cancel your participation in more than a total of 2 Reward Offers within 30 days of any Reward Offer Sign-Up Date as outlined in the Terms & Conditions (the Cancellation Limit) and (5) follow the redemption instructions.
Even from here we may see that it will be a lot of spam to your e-mail address, home, address, phones from “trusted 3rd parties”.
Let’s read Terms and Conditions at http://ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com/terms.php:
- “ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com is solely responsible…”: But who is ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com? Who people should contact in case of problems?
- “This offer is available to US residents only”: What the heck it is being advertised in Canada?! By the way, there are exceptions for US residents also…
- “you must complete all of the steps outlined herein”: This makes more sense now
- “acquire two sponsor action points from the Top Offers Group”: this (and two items below) may cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, because you will have to use their services or products
- “two offers from the Prime Offers Group”
- “and 9 offers from the Premium Offers Group”: total 13 offers. It will take hours of your time
- “refer three friends to do the same“: it is a must, otherwise no “Free” $1000 Gift Card
- Multiple mentioning of “… will result in the cancellation of your ca.bestbuy.mygiftcarddeal.com membership” if you do something not like they want. I.e. you will spend hours of your time, share your valuable personal information, and waste a lot of money on their offers, but they will still cancel you membership and won’t send you gift card.
- “In cases of a financial offer such as a credit card, the card must be activated by making a purchase”: Every credit card application drops down your credit score. If you are going to apply for a mortgage or another big credit, it may cost you tens of thousand dollars, or even more.
- “the user must remain a card holder for at least 60 days”: In any case you won’t see your “Free” Best Buy Gift Card earlier than in 2-3 months, most likely never…
- “For paid retail offers you must accept the item/service and pay in full“: You can not return it or even re-sell. If they think that you are going to re-sell it, they will cancel your membership
- “Additional terms and conditions may apply to participation in select marketing offers”: it could be $1450 bi-weekly fee for something
- “require individuals to provide documentation demonstrating they have completed the advertiser requirements”
The very important item:
- “You have up to ninety days from the original date of your membership registration to complete the membership incentive program and redeem your incentive gift“… “Once we have received your verification, your gift will be sent within thirty days“.
It basically says that the promised $1000 gift card can NEVER be used at Best Buy or Walmart even if you complete all the required offers. It takes over two-three months to complete advertiser’s requirements, then you have to prove it. But you also have to redeem the gift card which they sent within 30 days, so we already have at least 90 days… Even it they send, the gift card will be already canceled, because 90 days passed…
Beware!
Forgot to add that it’s not easy to leave that page because of the multiple pop-up advertisements like this one:
Do not fall into “5 min internet survey”! Terms and condition are still valid! These scammers must be prosecuted at least for deceptive advertisement, but actually for fraud.
After closing this one, other ads coming up, like “Get Your Apple iPad® 2”, “Apple iPad® 2 Reserved Exclusively For You!”, etc…
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Brand Giveaway Center
This one is another website: http://brandgiveawaycenter.com/
It offers “FREE $1000 Gift Card of your choice” to the following locations:
JCPenney, Sears, Toys “R” Us, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Target
Beware of this as well! Terms and conditions make it absolutely impossible to receive “Free $1000 Gift Card”
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OHH ITS SMELLS SCAAAAAAAAAMMMMM
My com is I was also doing it for a company for monye, and if need to be i will get a lawyer and suit all the party,s invo, they just lie to you, and if your in a sweet stakes they tall you you have to buy something in order to get your prize, and that is wrong.
Maybe you can alert your readers to this scam. They offer you a $1000Gift certificate card worth$1,000 of free overstocked and surplus merchandise from major retailers,and it is nothing but a scam.You can order up to $1,000 dollars of products for FREE and only pay shipping and handling which is a lie.The only problem is the shipping and handling costs about the same as the retail of the product ordered.Please check out the website.There is no way that S&H can be 90% of the cost of the free products ordered.
These things are not what they were at one time.Now every last one of them is a scam. even this site might be a scam .
Nothing is sacred or safe anymore it would seem.
just trash the free you won this spam and keep on going.
I read once that even if you type your information in but did not press SUBMIT, it will still send that information to the scammer.
Is this true???
Wake up asshole s it all a scam nothing is free in this world. You just hovering them your information .stop and wake up. Or you will wake up with your identity stolen.
I got e-mail saying I won a Walmart gift card for a $1,000. I want to know if it a scan or what cause it will not let me active so what is the deal I complete the suvery who do I need to content to find out why they are sending me this suvery to complete and get nothing in return
Complete scam artists!!!.
I completed all 8 product offers, and to date have only received credit for 7. I sent “customer service” a ticket and still NO ONE has addressed it.
Truth of the matter is that the only gifts you’ll receive are the ones you actually pay for!!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCAM!!!
I, received a card stating that I, won a $ 250,00 gift card for wal mart and best buy however, I, was told to send $68,00 for three subscriptions of magazines the phon number is 1-877-251-3058 is this a scam or legitmate?
Hi, um I made the mistake of filling out all of the info and i’m a teen what exactly is going to happen because I am very scared thanks,~R
My name is beatrice so the reason why come i`m doing thhis becauser my grand kids need some help with their christmas this year for 2013 because I don`t have no money this time to perpare for them so I hope that I`m not too later for this ok but they are all under 10 year of age and I will thank god if I can get someone to just help with this one christmas for me please my address is 404 Roosevvelt street Dublin Georgia 31021 home phone number is 478 274 1548 like I say I will thank god for beening here in this world this time because the next one might not be promise to me so like I said if I has money I will be glad to help any one in this world with anything that they need becauase some people got lucker with what they have in this world but god want everybody to share some time with the other people that don`t have any thing are not much and that person is just like me don`t have much.thank god for beening a life.
Same deal only this time it was You Tube. I fill out surveys often for various sites I frequent or buy from. It asked to answer 30 questions from youtube after the first , Gender, email and phone number, the survey stopped and was at the thanks for your participation field.
When asked which prize offered would I prefer, I had hit submit before I realized what an idiot I was. Now, I am afraid as well.
Thanks for this site, I am asking, since I gave them nothing but my email and phone they can not charge me for anything, right?
Thanks for any help
I received tex on my phone stating I won $1000 gift code. To give code 3442 to claim my prize.
i would like my 1000 dollar gift card
The scary part is that I was contacted by a “RogerMcCauley3745@bestbuy.com” a little over 5 hours after making a purchase at a Best Buy store, and they seemed to have access to most of the info I had given during the purchase, as well as other info I had NOT given. Looks like a good time to start a serious disinformation campaign to muddy up my available data
I KNOW THE FAMILY.I GOT HURT WORKING FOR THEM AND GOT TO JNOW THE WHOLE FAMILY.I DON’TDESERVE THIS TREATM!I WISH SAM WAS STILL HERE! GERRY GOLDEN 279ACR3011 FRANKSTON TEXAS 75763 (NO JUSTICE!!!!)
Im living proof that these are NOt scams,if you know what you are doing,you WILL get a $1000 gift card.I did,and only spent $25 total for the trials and actually got benefit out of ALL of the products,like Netflix.i do recommend it.
Many of these spam texts are coming address-washed through bit.ly/
Complain to FTC.gov, the FCC, and your State Attorney General.
Get ownership info about any website or domain name at WhoIs.Net
Read Wikipedia.org articles on “Bitly” and “URL shortening.”
Read the MyFox8.com dated 12/4/2012 “How to stop those annoying you won a gift card text messages.”
Snopes.com has an article on Best Buy $1000 Gift Card Scams.
Don’t reply to the texts and don’t visit their website.
276-207-8372 Is the number i got the text from.
How can you say that this was a scam? they ask you to do a survey then you have to purchase two items from a list. I purchased books and movies for my grandchildren. The payment for those wasn’t a scam,considering that I recieved those books and movies.I think Wal-Mart is screwing me over. I want my $1000 gift card that I deserve considering I did my part in order to recieve that card. I should sue Wal-Mart for false advertising.If they don’t want to give out goft cards for free in those promotions they shouldn’t have the promotiopns in the first place. I only have one thing to say, i ordered movies an books got those so I want my gift card. You can’t
get away with false advertising. Thank You, Josephine Pruitt
Sparks, Oh yes agreed, Amen……..