Fake Freebies & Phishing sites

[Destiny]

OK I know this is probably the wrong place to post this, but I think it should be made a sticky in this section....for all the newbies out there...


The lure of free stuff is a powerful marketing tool and is used to good effect by many savvy marketers. Unfortunately, not every free stuff offer is what it appears to be. There are lots of great free stuff offers out there, but you need to use some healthy skepticism and resist the temptation to fall for free stuff scams. Evaluating free stuff offers is pretty easy if you use a little common sense mixed with some knowledge and a bit of experience. Below are some tips to help you avoid the free stuff boondoggles:

*Too good to be true - Most offers that appear too good to be true usually are. Examine the motivation for the free offer. A free trial size shampoo makes sense because they are trying to sell shampoo. A free vacation is unlikely, unless there are large hidden charges attached.

*Suspicious websites- If a website has tons of Google ads and does not look legit to you, just skip it. Also, if a website has the words "free" (Example: www.freestressball.com) in it's address name, it is not a real freebie and is a scam. If a website looks badly constructed, has lots of spelling and grammatical errors, bombards you with downloads or pop ups you should ask yourself - "Do I trust this website with my information and are they really going to send me a freebie?" The answer could well be no. If a website has enough money to send out thousands of freebies - why haven't they spent the same amount of money developing a profession looking website? The answer could be that they have no freebies to give out and only want your details.

*URL- If the website URL is from a free hosting domain such as yahoo or tripod, don't take a chance. Surely a real company could afford an address without hosts.

*Use an alternative email- when signing up for freebies, it's always good to use a alternative email, not your main one. That way, if you do fall for a scam, it will all go to your other side account and not clog up your main one. I recommend a yahoo or hotmail or gmail account because they have good storage and junk mail filter.

*Win-win?- Usually, when the company give out freebies, they do it so people can sample their products and possibly purchase them in the future. If the website is offering "free samples", look for a link or something back to the company. If there is no link or address, how will customers contact them again to buy products? No company would willing give away thousands of products with no way for contact.

*Owner?- Do you know who owns the site? If they are giving away "free dove samples", is URL www.dove.ca? If it's not the actual company offering the product, it is likey a scam.

*Don't pay for prizes - If you get email or postal mail proclaiming you the winner of a great prize and all you have to do is pay a fee to claim it, don't. It' s a scam and the only winners are the scammers.

*Read the fine print- If the site looks suspicious to you, read their FAQ or Terms of Agreement(if there is one). Does it guarantee that you'll get the freebie or that it is not a scam? If it says it's not affiliated in any way with the product, or anything like that, move on.

*Beware email collection scams - Most of the sites that consist of nothing but a form offering free stuff are there to collect email addresses for spammers. These sometimes have long lists of offers or "newsletters" you can subscribe to. If you are tempted to sign up for these, be sure to use a disposable email address.

*Banners & Pop-Ups- If the freebie comes to you from a banner or pop-up while surfing the Internet, it's probably best to pass. This is especially true if the freebie advertisement takes you to a website other than homepage of the freebie product being offered.

*Survey Scams- Never complete any surveys that state the word "FREE" in the headline. In other words, if the survey states something like "Fill out this survey and you will receive a free $50.00 gift certificate. They are actually trying to find out which products you would be interested in purchasing while you are filling out this long screening process. Do not give them your email address or credit card number. You will receive hundreds of junk mail everyday, and still not receive your $50.00 gift certificate until you purchase at least $400.00 of merchandise!

*And remember: Always research any paid survey site by researching scams and or, place the name of the company in your browser and use the word "scams" beside their name. This should tell you whether or not this company is a scam artist.

*Also if the freebie is from some unheard of company, and the site has no way for you to actaully order their product, its likely a spam site. Companies send out freebies in the hope you will like and later buy their product; if there's no way for you to purchase their stuff should you choose to, odds are you won't be getting a freebie!

*Just put these tips together with your own common sense and you can enjoy the legitimate offers and avoid the free stuff scams.
Happy freebie hunting! =)

*ALSO* http://www.60-seconds.com/articles/130a.htmlTen tips you're about to be ripped off. Lots of helpful tips that also apply to registering for freebies.
*ALSO* www.whois.net A good site to find out who is the owner or the host of the website!

[GottaLoveKris]

Hey guys,
I came across a website that posted a bunch of sites where the freebies NEVER came..i thought it would be wise to post it up here as well; to prevent you from getting any spam or other..
"If you have any other sites that you would like to add, feel free to do so and also if you have indeed received something from any of these sites please let everyone know."

free beer mugs
Get a free promotional beer mug. Advertisers, market your brand by giving away free promotional products.

alice woodrum shaping spray
Alice Woodrum Salon

pipe fabricators mousepad
Request Your Free Mousepad

free stressball
Get a free promotional stress ball. Advertise your brand by giving away free promotional products.

nourifusion skincare
freenourifusion.com

HOT Texas hot sauce
Free Samples of H.O.T. Sauce

Chocolate truffles
Gourmet Chocolate

Oh Shot T-shirt
OhShot.com - Store Your Shots. Photo Storing Services

Travel USA T-Shirt
Travel USA T-Shirt Offer

SunLab Sunlotion
Studio Beauty Warehouse
A Sun Laboratories Official Website - Wholesale Prices on all Sun Labs products - Free Sample

cd's every month
freesamplecd.com

babytobee
Free Baby Stuff | Products | Coupons

scoopex
Sample set (3 Scoopex) [SPX002] - It's Free! : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

big soap company
Product Experience Survey

dictionary CD
Sign Guest book

tea chef
TeaChef: Sign Up

your beauty rep
yourbeautyrep.com

head haircare
Kiwi Magazine - KiwiCuts: Discounts & Deals Exclusively for KIWIs

guitar pick
freeguitarpick.com

ice cream offers from selfoods
Sel Food Sales

anti flatulence filter
UnderEZ - By: UnderTec

olay cloths
http://www.total-effects.com/sample/...thsample.shtml

petrix tshirt
FREE T-SHIRT

posh bomb shirt
High quality t-shirts and clothing for retail and wholesale.

super wipes
Superwipes by Mario Quenneville - FREE SAMPLE!

thongs
FREE-Thongs.com

splendid delights crownies
FREE Sample

sally hansen nail polish
VIBE - Fab Finds

bobblehead dolls
BobbleHeadies.com - Your source for bobblehead dolls. Find unqiue collectable bobbleheads!

freebeautysamples
Free Beauty Samples !

ashley cardell chocolate
http://www.ashleycardell.com/gourmet_chocolate.html

buybeauty (lancomme gift)
http://buybeauty.com/Survey1.aspx

Chocolate Explosion Recipe book
Candy Lovers

BnT Jerky
Freebies, Free Offers and Free Stuff from ShopFree

hot mom driving car magnet
Hottest Mom In America™

Data Buddha Shirt
Are you prepared to venture onto the Path to Information Enlightenment?

Diva in a Box Hair Extensions
http://www.divainabox.com/request.html

dehydrated water
BuyDehydratedWater.com Free Sample Offer!

candy store sample
The candy Store - FREE SAMPLE form

OK Magazine
http://69.94.91.157/cgi-bin/ezs.cgi?DATABASE=okmagazine

Herbal Dictionary
Herb Information Center - Free Gift Form

Any Offers from
Welcome to KCWEB

Computer Screen Cleaners
Free Screen Cleaners | CleanYourScreen.com

Chiplets Dog treats (email offer)
freegralensamples@yahoo.com

Lady Pink Stationary (email offer)
ladypinkorg@gmail.com

Kitty cat Sampler Pack (email offer)
kittycatpetstore@ yahoo.com

free CD
Free CD of Popular Music

free Hot Chocolate
fundrinks4all.com

Free Pregnancy and Wellness Kit
Free Pregnancy and Baby Wellness Kit : American Pregnancy Association

My Healthy Info Offers (any)
http://myhealthyinfo.com

Billy Bee magnet
Billy Bee - Survey

Awakening supplement
Oxygen Nutrition Co | Free Sample

free pet treats
Free Pet Treats - www.freepettreats.com

Flint River Ranch
Free Sample of Flint River Ranch Pet Food from Safe-T-Pet

Silk Hankerchief
China's Lantern Tour Guides: First Class Tours of Mainland China In English

Phenoseal Vinyl Adhesive Caulk
DAP - DYNAFLEX 230 Premium Elastomeric Latex Sealant

Replenishing Shampoo
http://www.chattem.com/survey/ultraswim/sample.asp

Any offers from SunFrog
Sun Frog Protective Products for Exterior Surfaces

BG Health Bar
http://healthyfutures.net/nlrc/pr...sample.php

House of Gosh
Free Samples

Home Brewers
LOGIC, Inc. - HomeBrewer Samples

Tums/Oscal
http://calciuminfo.com/promotions/Sample.aspx

free crystal
Custom Crystal Chandeliers

Beehive Bra Clips or Skin Care
Retail supplies, jewelry hang tags, blank price tags, paper perforator, quilt basting gun

WeirdFragrances
Weird Fragrances - Free Samples

california cosmetics
Free Samples, Catalogs, Coupons & Special Offers

Free Coffee Mug or Cap
https://expressbitandblade.com/catalog/survey.html

A.C.T. energy drink or samples
Request Your free Sample Of ACT Enery TODAY!
ACT Energy Drink Samples :: Get Energized - Free Sample Sign Up Form
FREE SAMPLES OF A.C.T. ENERGY DRINK by M2CGLOBAL ... Discover the Re-Energized YOU...
FREE Water Sample
http://carol.drinkactbuilders.com/qom

magic herbs
Sign-up with Magic Herbs FREE SAMPLES

MemoFlurry wrist pad
MemoFlurry.zor.org - Memory Foam Wrist Pads

Natural Solutions Samples
Natural Solutions Vibrant Health Balanced Living

Free Flag or Angel Pin
https://id281.securedata.net/joycraft/test.html

Sample of Revvida Enegy Drink
Revvida Sample

Jolly cookbook
Free Jolly Cook Cookbook

Perpster.com t-shirt
Perpster.com - Celebrate the launch of PerpSter with a free promotional t-shirt.

Open Heart Cross
The Hope Cross Request Form

Any JJ Martin offer
JJ Martin Clothing - freebie

Drontal Plus Cleanup Bags Dispenser
NoWorms.com - Risk Assessment Quiz

Acidophilus Pearls
Acidophilus Pearls from Enzymatic Therapy: The goodness of yogurt protected in one tiny capsule!

Desk Lamp
FreeDeskLamp.com - Free USB Desk Lamp

Nicky's® Folders
Rochester 100 - Home of Nicky's folders.

Baby Fever Pacifier
FunTastic Media | products

FREE SAMPLE BOTTLE of Windex® Multi Task
Free stuff - Alessa

free body product
Cheirinho de Bebe Bath and Body Products, Baby Products: Baby Lotion, Baby Cologne, Baby Soap, Baby Shampoo...

Nikon D60 Pen worldwide
http://www.nikond60.com/

FREE Pine-Sol® All Purpose Cleaner
http://www.deloriane.com/offer/bathr...nesoloffer.php

Tries Of New Perfumes
http://www.triesofnewperfumes.com/in...ang=us&pres=us

Horse Guard Fence
http://www.horseguardfence.com/free.php

Elvis Posters & Stickers
http://elviswanted.com/team.html

Floss Sticks
http://www.flixsticks.com/

Clay Essentials face and body mask samples
http://www.clay-skincare.com/clayessentialssample.html

Body Oil or Lotion Sample From Bop88
http://www.e1kaye.com/ShopdirectFREESAMPLES.html

Triesco Safer Sex Lube
http://www.lube.ca/dwr/free_sample.htm

Teecino coffee samples
http://www.teeccino.com/Secure/Register.aspx

Free Kid's Drawing Board
https://ns1.resp-canada.net/en/DrawingBoard.asp

ARouge Zenyaku skin care samples
http://www.zenyaku-usa.com/Zenyaku_Contact.asp

Glow Sticks
http://www.islandbarscene.com/

Passion Diva Temporary Tattoo
http://yourpassionconsultant.com/con.../specials.html

Crave Energy Drink
http://www.cravetesters.com/r/steve/home.html

Pheasant Pluckers Candle Samples
http://pheasant-pluckers.com/Merchan...ory_Code=BAPP6

Samples Of Doublehair / Eurohair
http://www.eurohairfashion.com/catal..._promotion.php

Pat's Psyllium Weight Control Fiber
http://www.healthplusinc.com/index.html

Cryogel Ice Ball sample
http://www.cryogel.com/thermal_stora...al_support.htm

Siamjava coffee
http://www.siamjava.com/siam_treesample.html

Free Light Reading T-shirts/USB'S
http://www.lightreading.com/webinar_...p?doc_id=28823

Zamouri spice sample
http://www.zamourispices.com/index.html

Grower's Direct Coffee
http://www.growersdirectcoffee.com/i...n-request.html

Hank's finest Whey Protein Milkshake
http://www.healthfitnesschannel.com/...yFS1_TWHES.htm

Parkside Coffee Sample
http://www.parksidecoffee.com/contact.php

Free Bra (or bra and pantie set)
http://www.stock23.com/Stock23-Fgifts.html

Digi Lake Free Coffee Cup:
http://www.digilake.com/as/shop_content.php?coID=47

[chicky82]

Sometimes, some freebies can take 6 months or more to come and those that have the word "free" in the address definitely don't come. For any new members, remember to read our stickies to ensure you don't get spammed
here is a link to our thread of freebies that do come: http://www.canadianfreestuff.com/for...at-come-25160/

[mjbl02]

Free Keychain or Koozie - jhpii
James Hugh Potts II :: Trial Lawyer

This one does not come either!

[freebiecrazy]

So, then i go looking into a few of the ones there.. that is an awful lot of "crap" advertising... here are a few...

Free Bra (or bra and pantie set)
http://www.stock23.com/Stock23-Fgifts.html says right on the page that this is US only

Elvis Posters & Stickers
http://elviswanted.com/team.html - YOU NEED TO READ THIS PAGE.. SERIOUSLY, WHERE DID THE POSTER GET THE IDEA IT WAS A FREEBIE???

nourifusion skincare
freenourifusion.com US

HOT Texas hot sauce
Free Samples of H.O.T. Sauce you have to 'fudge' on the state, definitely US

Travel USA T-Shirt
Travel USA T-Shirt Offer - this one is a 12 week sending...

cd's every month
freesamplecd.com - this one is a no brainer

big soap company
Product Experience Survey - did you really do the survey? small print, companies?

dictionary CD
Sign Guest book - this comes for the right info in the form

head haircare
Kiwi Magazine - KiwiCuts: Discounts & Deals Exclusively for KIWIs isn't this British... UK?

guitar pick
freeguitarpick.com - again, no brainer

ice cream offers from selfoods
Sel Food Sales - businesses only...

olay cloths
http://www.total-effects.com/sample/...thsample.shtml - these do come in the form of a coupon.. US get it for free, we get the buy one get one...

posh bomb shirt
High quality t-shirts and clothing for retail and wholesale. - businesses only..

thongs
FREE-Thongs.com - *shaking head*

splendid delights crownies
FREE Sample - this was posted as a scam way back.. but didn't some of your devoted freebie hunters claim they received this?

bobblehead dolls
BobbleHeadies.com - Your source for bobblehead dolls. Find unqiue collectable bobbleheads! - US only (again)

freebeautysamples
Free Beauty Samples ! - US only (again)

BnT Jerky
Freebies, Free Offers and Free Stuff from ShopFree - US again

hot mom driving car magnet
Hottest Mom In America™ - US.......

Diva in a Box Hair Extensions
http://www.divainabox.com/request.html - this scam website didn't even stay there.. domain is now for sale...

dehydrated water
BuyDehydratedWater.com Free Sample Offer! this is absolutely a joke!!!

OK Magazine
http://69.94.91.157/cgi-bin/ezs.cgi?DATABASE=okmagazine ABSOLUTELY US - read the print...oh, or the drop down that asks you to choose a state!! oh, BTW, if you enter ohio, OR 90210 (beverly hills) it will be DELIVERED TO OHIO OR BEVERLY HILLS!!!

Free Pregnancy and Wellness Kit
Free Pregnancy and Baby Wellness Kit : American Pregnancy Association - IF THE DESCRIPTION SAYS AMERICAN, PLEASE READ THE WILL SHIP TO INFO!!!

Billy Bee magnet
Billy Bee - Survey

free pet treats
Free Pet Treats - www.freepettreats.comAMERICAN FORMS!!!!

Silk Hankerchief
China's Lantern Tour Guides: First Class Tours of Mainland China In English - THIS WAS JUST POSTED... HOW DO WE KNOW IT WON'T COME? WAS IT POSTED BEFORE?

Any offers from SunFrog
Sun Frog Protective Products for Exterior Surfaces - THIS WAS ADVERTISED IN HERE BEOFRE... READ THE ARTICLES...

Tums/Oscal
http://calciuminfo.com/promotions/Sample.aspx - THIS WAS THE US FORM... THE CANADIAN FORM WAS A COUPON

WeirdFragrances
Weird Fragrances - Free Samples - AND WHY WOULD YOU EVEN...

california cosmetics
Free Samples, Catalogs, Coupons & Special Offers - CALIFORNIA - OBVIOUS...

Baby Fever Pacifier
FunTastic Media | products - AND I WOULDN'T USE A FREEBIE LIKE THIS ON MY INFANT ANYWAYS...

FREE SAMPLE BOTTLE of Windex® Multi Task - COUPON OR US.. YOU CHOOSE...
Free stuff - Alessa

FREE Pine-Sol® All Purpose Cleaner
http://www.deloriane.com/offer/bathr...nesoloffer.php - US FORM

Elvis Posters & Stickers
http://elviswanted.com/team.html - YOU NEED TO READ THIS PAGE.. SERIOUSLY, WHERE DID THE POSTER GET THE IDEA IT WAS A FREEBIE???

I GIVE UP...FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELVES...

[taz_2006]

i have recived the splendid delights crownies

also nothing ever comes from digilake so dont even bother with this one

[NorthBay_Lady]

some of the make up doesn't come either and did anyone ever get the vibrator/flashlight?

[Rockdweller]

Thank You for this list