THIS IS AN AFFILIATE E-MAIL SCAM.
It tells you that you have been
But I am wondering why one address that has to do with this is in Ontario, Canada and the other one is in California:
The address in Canada has a physical location which is probably a mail drop.
The Address in California is a post office box.
Gift Sponsors is the outfit in Canada and the one from California is:
Promotional Marketing by Ingenious Software, Inc.
PO Box 7334 102155
San Francisco, CA 94120-7334
3-min Survey = $1000 Wal-Mart Gift Certificate
Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:27 AM
"WalmartRewards"
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO RECEIVE A FREE $1, 000 WALMART GIFTCARD!
Directly beneath in small letters, you are cautioned: "Participation Required see offer details."
The rest of the e-mail continues on:
"Use at any Walmart location
"Works the same as cash, never expires
"Get the latest toys and electronics this Holiday with your Free Gift Card."
And it has an impressive of what a REAL Wal-mart gift card would look like.
BENEATH THE GRAPHIC OF THE GIFT CARD AND THE EXCITING DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET --PEOPLE, IT PLAINLY SAYS:
The advertisers in this e-mail are NOT affiliated with the above brands (Wal-mart, that is). This is a third party advertisement sent to you by the list owner.
PEOPLE WHO CAN READ AND UNDERSTAND ENGLISH ARE NOW AWARE THAT THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM AND HAVE DELETED THIS BY NOW BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT IS COMING.
THEY DO NOT CLICK ON THE "IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RECEIVE FUTURE MAILINGS FROM US CLICK HERE" BECAUSE IT WILL GUARANTEE YOU A HUGE TOILET FLUSH WORTH OF SPAM E-MAIL EVERY TIME THEY SENT SOME OUT AND PROBABLY A GOOD DOSE OF MALWARE, SPYWARE AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS WE "LOVE " ABOUT THESE SPAM E-MAILERS!!!
BUT WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THIS E-MAIL, DO NOT HAVE MUCH INTERNET EXPERIENCE, THEIR ENGLISH IS BAD OR THEY ARE SENIOR CITIZENS OR OTHER WHO CAN NOT SEE VERY WELL AND THEY ARE BLINDED BY THE MAGIC WORD FREE?
WHEN YOU "CLICK" HERE, THE PAGE CHANGES AND YOU ARE ONCE AGAIN REMINDED THAT YOU ARE SELECTED TO GET THE FREE WALMART CARD ONLY NOW, THEY WANT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS!
The disclaimer says:
By continuing, you certify that you are a US resident over the age of 18 and that you agree to the Privacy Policy, Redemption Instructions & Gift Rules and terms and conditions.
ANYBODY WHO CAME THIS FAR PUT OFF BY THIS DISCLAIMER OR CHECKING THE SMALL BOX BY THE DISCLAIMER? THEY WANT "FREE"
So when I input their e-mail in the dialog box, I can go on to the next page which features a LARGE OFFICIAL-LOOKING GRAPHIC THAT SAYS "100 percent Satisfaction Guaranteed." It doesn't MEAN ANYTHING but it LOOKS OFFICIAL.
THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HOME ADDRESS, YOUR NAME, YOUR BIRTHDATE, HOME PHONE AND ALL SORTS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION HERE AND THEN THE AFFILIATE SCAM STARTS.
THE AFFILIATE SCAM IS WHEN THE PERSON WHO BRAVELY CLICKS ON in search of the gift cards, free sample, etc. that they will never click and they are faced with a barrage of offers from various companies --many of which are rip offs in themselves.
By now, I have input their own addresses and phone number and I am going to soldier on and see what happens when I do. I am not going to get any gift card but I want to see what happens...
You click past numerous pages of offers, many of which they say can be billed to your phone number and you click on to the LAST PAGE and you can click no further because here is a large stack of offers --none of which you want but people are still under the illusion that they are going to get the gift card anyway and IT IS THE END OF THE LINE. YOU EITHER COMPLETE ALL THE OFFERS ON THE LAST PAGE AND CLICK SUBMIT OR ELSE. YOU CAN NOT CLICK PART THEM TO EARN YOUR GIFTCARD.
That is because there was NEVER the intent to give you any gift card at all.
THE INTENT WAS TO GET YOU TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND PROBABLY MARGINALLY LEGAL PRODUCTS AND THE OFFERS THAT IF YOU DID CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THEM THINKING THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GET THIS FABULOUS GIFTCARD WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CANCEL AND YOU WOULD PAY AND PAY AND PAY NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRIED TO CANCEL... MANY RIP OFF REPORT READERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS!
THE INTENT WAS TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU COULD GET THE GIFTCARD IF YOU ACCEPTED ONE OF THESE OFFERS... YEAH, SURE.
BY NOW, IF YOU HAVE WISE UP THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THIS BAIT AND YOU CLICK OFF OF THE PAGE, THEY STILL HAVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT THEY ASKED YOU TO GIVE THEM WHEN THIS RAGTAG CLICK A LONG SAGA FIRST STARTED.
AND THEY CAN SELL THIS INFORMATION TO A LOT OF PEOPLE!
WHO GETS YOUR INFORMATION AND WHERE IT GOES IS NO LONGER UNDER YOUR CONTROL!
GOTCHA!
THE SHILLS WILL PROBABLY COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK, UNDERNEATH ROCKS AND POND SCUM TO SWEAR THAT THEY ACTUALLY GOT THE GIFTCARD OR WHATEVER WAS BEING PROFFERED FOR LOOKING AT THIS E-MAIL AND WASTING YOUR TIME...
THIS COMPANY WHO PUT THIS TOGETHER IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THEIR REAL NAME. THEY ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS.
THIS IS A TIRED OLD TRICK.
PEOPLE ARE WARNED UP FRONT WHAT IT IS BUT PEOPLE FOR VARIOUS REASONS TEND NOT TO USE CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE WHEN THEY SEE THE WORD "FREE" AND WE CAN NOT KEEP FOOLS FROM THEIR FOLLY.
JUST A TYPICAL SPAM MARKETER AND TYPICAL EMPTY PROMISES TRYING TO MAKE A MARGINALLY HONEST BUCK
DO NOT LET THEM MAKE IT AT YOUR EXPENSE.
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