Free $500 Gift card.. Laptop

[casey]

In the last couple of weeks I have been swamped with E-mail wanting to give me either a $500 gift card or a free laptop. I just delete them because I know there is a catch.
But my curiousity is driving me crazy trying to figure out the catch. So I thought I'd throw it out here. What's the Catch?

[mylanta]

Can you include an email so we can look at it....I have seen none of these.

[casey]

How do I go about including an E-Mail?

Here are a few subject lines form the last couple of days:

Get a $500 gift card and get ready for spring.
Get a free $500 gift card from eBAy
Big Savings Alert: $500 gift cards available at no cost!

Lowest Prices on our Laptops - Free.

[casey]

received since i posted.

Calling all Laptop geeks.
SEAFOOD FEST OR PASTA FEAST? CHOOSE FOR A $500 GftCard.

[mylanta]

I almosts never get spam...and I don't think I really do anything to avoid it. I sign up places, I never use anti spam software....no one wants me!

[Terry Hanushek]

Larry

In the last couple of weeks I have been swamped with E-mail wanting to give me either a $500 gift card or a free laptop. I just delete them because I know there is a catch.
But my curiousity is driving me crazy trying to figure out the catch. So I thought I'd throw it out here. What's the Catch?

For awhile last month, I was receiving messages like this in a pop-under window (which seems to evade all efforts to suppress pop-ups). Since it was clearly spam with a some sort of catch (nobody gives me a free laptop :) ), I deleted them immediately. I too have no idea of their source or their gimmick.

Terry

[casey]

I'm back on the list.. In the last week I have received:
$500 free airline tickets
$500 free Home Depot
$500 Gap
$500 Olive Garden
$500 K-Mart
$500 JC Penney
and to top this all of a couple of laptops and two big screen TV's. I don't know what I did to deserve all this
free stuff but I'm scared to try and find out what I have to do to get it...

[mylanta]

I'm back on the list.. In the last week I have received:
$500 free airline tickets
$500 free Home Depot
$500 Gap
$500 Olive Garden
$500 K-Mart
$500 JC Penney
and to top this all of a couple of laptops and two big screen TV's. I don't know what I did to deserve all this
free stuff but I'm scared to try and find out what I have to do to get it...

These are the ones where they want your first born as an indentured slave to qualify I believe.

[Terry Hanushek]

Larry

Just for grins I clicked on the Canon ad and it took my to the FreeProductVouchers.com web site.

When I got there my McAfee SiteAdvisor was glowing bright red. It capsule summary was "After entering our email address on this site, we received 166 emails per week. They were very spammy."

This seems like an easy way to meets lots of new 'friends' :) but not one that I would recommend.

Terry

[casey]

Terry,

You have a lot more guts then I do. I get an average of ten a week for almost anything I can think of. I was always curious what the gimmick was but couldn't bring myself to follow one to find out...

[Terry Hanushek]

Larry

You have a lot more guts then I do.

Perhaps, but I was also using a client's computer :rolleyes:

Terry

[casey]

Now that's funny!!!!

[jcampi]

If it's to good to be true...it is. A 'friend' of mine sends me all kind of junk about chain email. It you don't send the typical chain email to ten other people you will have bad luck, etc. I ALWAYS delete them. One time I was just plain dumb and sent one email to nine other people because the message claimed I would get a $50 gift card from Applebee's. This was also a scam. I make it a rule never to reply to this junk. They are all spam.

[photolady]

I have one of those friends who thinks everything is a good idea. Chain mails, special offers, no matter what it is I get an email from her. It is promptly deleted, then I email her back and explain these chain letters and these free offers. So far as I know she has stopped believing everything she reads....at least on these points.

Some time ago, about three or four years ago there was an email floating around that if you did send these emails to all your friends, Microsoft would give you a $100 or more. This one was about some lawyer who supposedly checked this all out and claimed it was the real thing. I sent a warning to my friend. I hope I got through to her. So, the only spam I get usually comes from her. As I do not get spam from anyone, anywhere, else.

[Pi rules]

You may want to remove those links or some poor person will click them and fill in their e-mail address.

[casey]

You may want to remove those links or some poor person will click them and fill in their e-mail address.

Okay, I deleted all the links...

[casey]

Just wanted to update. Years ago I was told never to
click the botton of the message where it say's you want to stop receiving the E-Mail because that's how they know your E-Mail address is live.Igot discouraged and tried telling everyone I didn't want to receive their E-Mail and it worked. I had forgotten about it until recently and thought things can't get any worse, so I started telling them I didn't want to receive any more of their E-mails. To my surprise they stopped. I haven't received any junk since June 5..

[mylanta]

Just wanted to update. Years ago I was told never to
click the botton of the message where it say's you want to stop receiving the E-Mail because that's how they know your E-Mail address is live.Igot discouraged and tried telling everyone I didn't want to receive their E-Mail and it worked. I had forgotten about it until recently and thought things can't get any worse, so I started telling them I didn't want to receive any more of their E-mails. To my surprise they stopped. I haven't received any junk since June 5..

You know Larry I didn't want to say anyting about that either, and I have done that for years and never get any spam as I have said. My goodness if you and I have the identical experience, it has to be the right thing to do!

[jcampi]

That is how these things work. They tempt you and some of us fall prey to the trick. I ignored this crap since day one. Then, some 'friend' did email me a scam. It said if I emailed the message to nine other people I'd get a $50 gift card from Apple-Bees. I checked with Apple-Bees and found out this was a internet hoax. Don't fall for it. If it sounds too good to be true - it is.

[mommalina]

Larry, did you check with www.snopes.com to see if the offer is a scam?

Lina

[casey]

Lina, I was getting so many deals for free stuff I didn't even want to find out what I would have to do to get it.
Read back over this thread and you'll get a sample of the things that were sent to me.

[mommalina]

Lina, I was getting so many deals for free stuff I didn't even want to find out what I would have to do to get it.
Read back over this thread and you'll get a sample of the things that were sent to me.

I see these all the time in my web-based mail boxes. Depending upon the options offered, I mark them as spam, block sender, or just delete them.

Agreed. Snopes.com could not possibly check out and list all such scams. They do have something on Applebee.

Lina