SCAM!

Are people still blogging? Am I wasting my time? Please tell me if I am! I could be doing other things like...sleeping, or something. Oh well, I like to write - even if no one in the world is reading this.

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Anyways, on to my story...

I am humbled and embarrassed to say...I fell for a scam.

Yes, I understand you can't trust anyone or anything when it comes to the internet. I am fully aware of how scams work, or so I thought.

I've been wanting a teeth whitener, like everyone else, cheaper than the $200.00 a dentist would charge. I'm sure you've all seen those ads plastered on every site for "Teeth Whitening Secret Discovered By A Mom." I was curious and decided to click on the ad. The link took me to a website that looked like a reliable source.

The story goes, a woman named Cathy didn't have much money for an expensive teeth whitener and decided to try these free trials she came across. She used them together and discovered that they worked better than anything she's ever seen or heard of. The trials are free, except for the s&h. Together they both came to under $3.00.

I thought, "$3.00 isn't much to lose. I'll try it." Before I even took time to really think about it, read the terms and conditions, or even look for a COPYRIGHT on the web page, I gave them my information for the FREE trials.

This all happened earlier this afternoon. Tonight I saw another ad for the same thing and something told me to click on it again. Somehow this time I noticed the terms and conditions. I decided to research this "wonder story" and found it to be a big scam.

"Great!" I thought. "I've already given them my information!" In the terms and conditions it says that by subscribing to the free trial you give them permission to bill your credit card for your full size order that they send every three months. I saw numbers like 75, and 120 and several smaller numbers, all with dollar signs in front of them!

At the bottom they gave a number you could call to cancel your membership. While researching I even found that the cancellation is a scam.

So now I have to call my bank tomorrow to have them cancel my card. *sigh*

Let this be a lesson to all!
1) Check for copyrights at the bottom of the web page. (This usually indicates authenticiy...I think.)
2) Always research the products, stories, etc before giving out any personal information.
3) Always read the terms and conditions before agreeing to anything!
4) Beware of "free" trials. There's usually a catch. (NOTHING is free!)

P.S.
For those of you who've read Sam's blog - curiosity doesn't just lead to physical death, but can lead to financial "death" also.

P.P.S. (or is it P.S.S.?)
Check out my other recent post below.