This ad is a con
December 29th 2007 07:40
Okay, curiosity killed the cat and all that, but I’d got sick of that ad for The Love Button: Push Me Hard coming up all the time on Orble, so I thought I’d investigate.
Pretty stupid thing to do.
The ad takes you to a site where you’re encouraged to put in your name and your partner’s name. Okay at that point. Then, if I remember the order of things, you’re asked to put in your star sign. Okay, I don’t have much time for star signs, but I was trying the thing out, so I put them in.
Next it comes up with an odd request. Perhaps I should have been more suspicious at this point. It wants me to put in my ‘genuine’ cellphone number, and then tells me to wait for the pin that will be sent to my phone.
Cellphone number? I live in New Zealand, and the site will I’m sure be situated elsewhere. However, in the spirit of discovery I put in the cellphone number. By the time I realised I’d been waiting for the pin for a couple of minutes and went to track down my phone, I’d received five text messages.
And then I got to the crunch page. I could select my bonus ‘subscription content’ from one of three choices. Bonus? That usually implies a thing on top of something else.
The three bonuses – as of today anyway – were Celebrity Insults, Tarot Readings, and Jokes. And then I looked down below at the fine print and this is when I remembered that I’d had to tick a Terms and Conditions box on one of the pages. You know how you do that without thinking these days, unless it’s something very important?
These were the terms and conditions on this page, and I quote them in full:
By signing up for this service and by entering your personal PIN Code you acknowledge that you are subscribing to our service. All plans are subject to the Terms and Conditions. You may stop this subscription service at any time by sending a text message with STOP, to short code 3242. You must be the device owner and be over 18 or have the permission of your parent or guardian. To join the club you will be charged $3.50. You will receive a text alert charged at $3.50 three times a week. Standard/other text messaging rates may apply. For more information call 0800-440-619. Click here to see full 'Terms and Conditions'.
This is crafty, isn’t it? Before you know it you’ve been charged $3.50 and with the additional texts that are being sent at a rate of knots, you’re being charged $3.50 for those as well.
I’ve just checked what I’ve got left on my cellphone since I topped it up today, and find that this nasty little site has chewed up some $10 worth of air time.
I’d recommend stopping this ad showing up on Orble. It’s a con.
Pretty stupid thing to do.
The ad takes you to a site where you’re encouraged to put in your name and your partner’s name. Okay at that point. Then, if I remember the order of things, you’re asked to put in your star sign. Okay, I don’t have much time for star signs, but I was trying the thing out, so I put them in.
Next it comes up with an odd request. Perhaps I should have been more suspicious at this point. It wants me to put in my ‘genuine’ cellphone number, and then tells me to wait for the pin that will be sent to my phone.
Cellphone number? I live in New Zealand, and the site will I’m sure be situated elsewhere. However, in the spirit of discovery I put in the cellphone number. By the time I realised I’d been waiting for the pin for a couple of minutes and went to track down my phone, I’d received five text messages.
And then I got to the crunch page. I could select my bonus ‘subscription content’ from one of three choices. Bonus? That usually implies a thing on top of something else.
The three bonuses – as of today anyway – were Celebrity Insults, Tarot Readings, and Jokes. And then I looked down below at the fine print and this is when I remembered that I’d had to tick a Terms and Conditions box on one of the pages. You know how you do that without thinking these days, unless it’s something very important?
These were the terms and conditions on this page, and I quote them in full:
By signing up for this service and by entering your personal PIN Code you acknowledge that you are subscribing to our service. All plans are subject to the Terms and Conditions. You may stop this subscription service at any time by sending a text message with STOP, to short code 3242. You must be the device owner and be over 18 or have the permission of your parent or guardian. To join the club you will be charged $3.50. You will receive a text alert charged at $3.50 three times a week. Standard/other text messaging rates may apply. For more information call 0800-440-619. Click here to see full 'Terms and Conditions'.
This is crafty, isn’t it? Before you know it you’ve been charged $3.50 and with the additional texts that are being sent at a rate of knots, you’re being charged $3.50 for those as well.
I’ve just checked what I’ve got left on my cellphone since I topped it up today, and find that this nasty little site has chewed up some $10 worth of air time.
I’d recommend stopping this ad showing up on Orble. It’s a con.
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Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Change the pin number, and if your phone message center starts getting filled up with text spam messages from the site, you may find it prudent to change the number altogether.
General rule of thumb, don't give out information to any stranger or open any email you didn't expect to receive, especially if it shows up in groups.
Raven
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Comment by Mike Crowl
Webitz
Work Report
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
No.1 techno savvy daughter and her friends got caught out a couple of weeks ago with something similar - despite the particular site being reported in the Sydney press as offering a free-ringtone download.
Be afraid my friend - be very afraid.
Cheers
MNG
Comment by Catherine
Natural Animals
I have been caught with another one earlier in the year, I now avoid sites that ask too much information, if I do want to explore a little, I fudge my details. I've also taken to getting firefox to delete all private details this week. It is a pain, as I now have to remember all my passwords but I feel a bit better. I haven't worked out a non technical way to stop firefox talking to google diagnostics when I first start it up (I am totally non technical so it has to be easy). But then are probably a few other evils I haven't discovered and sometimes I prefer ignorance
Comment by Wynona Lavota
Generation Y Life
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Comment by Always Eighteen
Always Eighteen
Comment by Mike Crowl
Webitz
Work Report