Freebies: the hidden risk of scam online stores
A free SD card concealed a Russian scam. An analysis of how freebies can end up costing you dearly.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The danger of bargain freebies: free but at risk of fraud
A free 1GB Kingston SD card: that was the bait. The promise of a cost-free gift to lure in the unwary. But behind the bargain lurked Fast Camera Store, a Russian shop that only accepted payment by bank transfer or Western Union and had been promising cards that never arrived for years. The hook worked: several users took the bait and handed over their details.
How the hook works: gifts that never arrive
The trick is nothing new. A free product is advertised (a memory card, a Wikileaks t-shirt, coffee samples) with delivery times of 6 to 12 weeks. Long enough for most people to forget the order. Meanwhile, the store accumulates personal data and addresses, and in some cases tries to sell expensive products at impossible prices —a Nikon SB-900 flash for 229 euros, when even the cheapest markets don't go below 400—. Anyone who falls for the paid purchase loses their money.
Freebies: the goldmine of cheap advertising
The thread lists dozens of free sample sites: The Freebiers, Muestras Gratis, FreebsArg... They all work the same way: trading advertising for data. But not all of them are scams. The free Marcilla coffee capsules handed out at La Vaguada were real, and users confirm there's no difference in taste from the paid ones. The challenge is telling a legitimate freebie apart from the hook.
The warning that saved several users
A forum member who knew photography prices sounded the alarm: Fast Camera Store's prices were too good to be true. Investigating, he discovered the same free card promotion had been running since 2009, and that multiple users were reporting they had received nothing. The store only accepted payment methods with no buyer protection. The conclusion: it was a hook for free advertising on forums and, along the way, a scam for those who bought something.
How many of those gifts end up being bait? The line between saving money and falling into a trap is thin. A product being free doesn't miccionan it has no cost: that of your personal data or, worse, that of a purchase you never get back.
Related discussions on the forum
A free 1GB Kingston SD card: that was the bait. The promise of a cost-free gift to lure in the unwary. But behind the bargain lurked Fast Camera Store, a Russian shop that only accepted payment by bank transfer or Western Union and had been promising cards that never arrived for years. The hook worked: several users took the bait and handed over their details.
How the hook works: gifts that never arrive
The trick is nothing new. A free product is advertised (a memory card, a Wikileaks t-shirt, coffee samples) with delivery times of 6 to 12 weeks. Long enough for most people to forget the order. Meanwhile, the store accumulates personal data and addresses, and in some cases tries to sell expensive products at impossible prices —a Nikon SB-900 flash for 229 euros, when even the cheapest markets don't go below 400—. Anyone who falls for the paid purchase loses their money.
Freebies: the goldmine of cheap advertising
The thread lists dozens of free sample sites: The Freebiers, Muestras Gratis, FreebsArg... They all work the same way: trading advertising for data. But not all of them are scams. The free Marcilla coffee capsules handed out at La Vaguada were real, and users confirm there's no difference in taste from the paid ones. The challenge is telling a legitimate freebie apart from the hook.
The warning that saved several users
A forum member who knew photography prices sounded the alarm: Fast Camera Store's prices were too good to be true. Investigating, he discovered the same free card promotion had been running since 2009, and that multiple users were reporting they had received nothing. The store only accepted payment methods with no buyer protection. The conclusion: it was a hook for free advertising on forums and, along the way, a scam for those who bought something.
How many of those gifts end up being bait? The line between saving money and falling into a trap is thin. A product being free doesn't miccionan it has no cost: that of your personal data or, worse, that of a purchase you never get back.
Related discussions on the forum
- I've gone back to using Win XP · 24 replies
- Yesterday I went back to the doctor. I was really screwed. · 17 replies
- I'm trying out Linux Mint and... · 44 replies
- Strong plastic smell in Chinese products · 12 replies
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (19 replies).
More summaries
-
MERE: the Russian supermarket that couldn't crack Spain's prices
MERE sold pasta at €0.69 and meat at unbeatable prices. But the Russian chain failed to establish itself in Spain: wave after wave of closures and a business model that never took off.
-
Amazon UK vs Spain: Are Online Deals Real or Just Logistics?
An analysis of Amazon UK versus Amazon ES prices reveals that price differences often stem from logistics and market factors rather than genuine savings.
-
Online shopping in 2009: bargains, fakes and customs
A pair of Dockers cost $30 in the US and €80 in Spain. Online shopping in 2009 promised savings, but between counterfeits and customs, not everything was a bargain.
-
Spanish 1970s Cookies: The Lost Taste of Childhood
Iconic Spanish brands like Cuétara and Fontaneda have changed. Palm oil, mergers, and quality cuts explain the decline of a national staple.
-
Dash cams from €70: the cheap way to beat staged crash scams in Spain
Dash cams from €70: the investment that stops insurance scams. Are they legal? A real case involving threats and a false claim shows why drivers need one.
-
David Cal and the debate over his physique after retirement
Forum debate on David Cal's weight gain: calorie expenditure, habits and criticism of the expectation that retired athletes stay in elite shape