News
iPod pyramid scam warning
In “This Is London”, Mark Prigg, Evening Standard Technology Correspondent writes: “The Government today issued a warning over internet “pyramid” selling scams as sites such as eBay are being targeted by con artists.
But the offers are usually a scam with extremely small print, which reveals that the buyer will not get an iPod but simply a link to a website where they must pay to join a waiting list.
The buyer will only get an iPod when they reach the top of the list - and they will only move up it by getting other people to join - a scam similar to the pyramid selling schemes popular in the Eighties.
But the chances of getting to the top of the list are very remote - and in some cases non-existent because many of the websites are fakes.”
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1
That’s pretty stupid. But then, sometimes you have to be pretty stupid to fall for things like that. Make sure the site, or the item you buy from or buy is well known and has a good reputation.
Posted by Mac on July 6, 2004 at 3:10 PM (PDT)
2
seriously. who falls for these?
Posted by dethbrakr on July 6, 2004 at 5:45 PM (PDT)
3
thats how i got my ipod…....
Posted by pyrmaid boy on July 6, 2004 at 6:50 PM (PDT)
4
1/ It’s illegal in most countries.
2/ Don’t even consider it if you’re not in slot 1.
Posted by hhvuong on July 6, 2004 at 11:01 PM (PDT)
5
“Pyrmaid boy”? Is that something similar to a “mermaid boy”?
I guess so since successful pyramid deals are about as rare as mermaids.
Posted by Tiketti on July 7, 2004 at 12:04 AM (PDT)
6
I fell for an iPod pyramid scam :( It sounded like an easy thing at first, but I had to fight scorpions and cobras, and jump over pit traps, and decode ancient hieroglyphics to open secret doors. I finally got to the middle of the pyramid. And was there an iPod? No! There was a homicidal mummy come back from the dead.
I was SO angry. Never again.
Posted by Nagromme on July 7, 2004 at 12:27 PM (PDT)
7
/me laughs at nagromme
Posted by SiMON on July 7, 2004 at 1:03 PM (PDT)
8
heh heh heh
nice Nagromme
Posted by jbrez on July 7, 2004 at 4:25 PM (PDT)
9
Theres one called getfreeelectronics.com
The name says it all, nothing is free!
Posted by james on July 8, 2004 at 12:31 AM (PDT)
10
I’ve seen a similar site being advertised on some Mac sites (not this one, that I know, but it was on some page linked to by MacSurfer anyway).
I read the fine print, and to get the iPod (mini IIRC) you not only have to sign up for a credit card or other offer, but you must convince 5 friends to sign up for an offer as well, and they get nothing for it except perhaps the satisfaction of helping you get an iPod. If you get more than the required number to sign up, the company keeps the extra money and you still just get 1 iPod. However I do believe this one is technically legal because they don’t take any money and it is spelled out in the fine print that you must take an offer, as well as a certain number of friends.
Posted by johnathan on July 8, 2004 at 12:32 PM (PDT)
11
Same here… I signed up. I’ve had good experiences in the past with a similar outfit, freevideogames.com. I don’t think they’re related, but I did get a PS2 and GBA for maybe $30 outlay (plus my time in signing up for crap).
Posted by ksfhhllp on July 20, 2004 at 8:28 AM (PDT)
12
Joshua….let me know what happened with that freeipods.com site. I was thinking about signing up but i dont have time for bull!@#$.
Posted by Andrew on July 21, 2004 at 11:32 AM (PDT)
13
be quiet.
your friend didn’t get one and you arent going to get one, seriously, if you people want an ipod you should spend more time at a job than sitting in front of the computer looking for free stuff.
Posted by todd on July 29, 2004 at 11:46 AM (PDT)