St. Louis, Mo., April 2, 2010 – Scammers began devising ways to take advantage of Apple Inc. fans months ago, long before tomorrow’s release date for Apple’s iPad tablet computer, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns. Eager buyers should be wary if they’re told they can get a free iPad by becoming a “tester.”
Apple announced the iPad in January and U.S. customers were able to pre-order in March for the April release. Because Apple bumped the delivery date for later orders, rumors started circulating that the company did not have enough iPads to meet pre-order demand.
“It was inevitable that scammers would take advantage of the excitement over the iPad to rip people off, just like they did with the iPod and the iPhone,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of the BBB in St. Louis.
“Bogus offers most commonly claim you can become a tester or researcher and get an iPad for free. This deal sounds - and definitely is - too good to be true.”
Tech website
GeekSugar.com recently warned about spam e-mails requesting iPad product testers. The e-mail directs recipients to the website Testitandkeepit.com, which claims to be seeking people to test the iPad for a couple of months. As compensation, testers get to keep the iPad. The biggest red flag with this offer is that you have to provide your e-mail address and password to “tell your friends,” who could also then become victims.
On Facebook, offers to become a tester had a different intent. As software company
Sophos explains in an online video, the Facebook page “iPad Researchers Wanted—Get an iPad Early and Keep It” was designed to trick people into signing up for a cell phone subscription service that cost $10 a month. Sophos alerted Facebook to the page—which had already racked up more than 3,500 fans—and it was taken down. Users should be on the lookout for similar offers.
Not all bogus offers come under the guise of becoming a tester. McAfee reported on its security blog that spam e-mails have landed in inboxes offering free iPads. The catch is that you have to buy items first and provide your credit card number.
If you’re planning to buy an iPad, the BBB recommends shopping through an authorized retailer or directly with Apple. Eventually, a secondary market for the iPad will spring up online on sites like Craigslist. If you plan on buying an iPad secondhand, purchase it from someone local and never wire money as payment.
For more advice on how to be a smart online shopper, visit
www.bbb.org or call 314-645-3300. You also can follow the BBB on
Facebook and
Twitter.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300,
mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Director of Communications, 314-645-3300,
communications@stlouisbbb.org