Always look a gift horse in the mouth

Roll up, roll up for lots of freebies. That�s what the creators of the following sites are hoping you�ll do, anyway.

Com-prizes(dot)com seems to host numerous offers and deals which do their best to get the attention of Twitter / Myspace users.

For example, twiter(dot)com-prizes(dot)com (yes, they did spell �Twitter� like that).


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The end-user is asked to fill in a few generic questions about social networking, then �receive up to $2,741.88 in cash�. The next screen � located at 5staroutlet(dot)com - contains a �sort of� attempt at a cheque image, along with various items of merchandise listed under the cash amount. It�s worth noting that above the section where you fill in your card details is a sentence that reads: �To receive my items, I only pay a modest release fee of just US $31.95�.


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A quick check of the T&C�s is interesting:


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�All items listed are not prizes or gifts as it is part of an intentional publicity program and therefore it is a merchandise offering and not a sweepstakes, prize draw or contest.�

Bold added by me. Also, this:


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Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K, methinks. They even call the items they send out �Awards� on the payment screen (look at the text in the circle, next to the VISA logo).

A similar page exists for Myspace users located at myspace(dot)com-prizes(dot)com, which also throws some random social networking questions at you before whipping out a �Free iPad� offer:


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This one operates almost identically to the landing page written about by Tom back in October, and of course �free� actually means �sign up for lots of different offers before you get anything�.


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Sign me up. Or not, as the case may be.

Further reading here, there and everywhere.

Christopher Boyd