The Free iPad Text Scam

Did you get a text saying you won a $1000 iPad? You knew it was too good to be true, didn’t you? Well, unfortunately – it is too good to be true. It’s just a classic bait and switch. Read on for details.

The text we received was from 2298485879, and read:

You’re entry last month won!: A free $1000 iPad 3 is waiting to be claimed click here www.gift2win.com/ipad/?prize=7132 and claim your prize!

This is just another variation of the “Free iPad” scams going around. Or perhaps they just have another definition of the word “free.” That’s because “free” to them means you have to enroll in a nearly-impossible “rewards” program that involves dragging your friends into it, their participation, and signing up for things you don’t want.

There's almost no chance you'll see an iPad from this place.

We’ve already written extensively about the bogus “test and keep” iPad spam inundating the online world. I defer to those articles for more details:

• The iPhone5 Tester Scam on Facebook
• iPad Tester Scam Continues

When you visit these sites, you’ll be informed that “participation is required” – and it’s an inordinate amount of participation – meaning you have to sign up for 13 “sponsor offers” and have three friends do the same. Not only do you have to sign up, but you have to stay enrolled. You also give them permission to hound you and your friends with telemarketing calls, emails, and texts. How likely does that iPad sound now?

You may also want to read our Best Buy gift card scam, as this is a similar ongoing scam. And read this one which is an almost identical scam, also pretending to award Best Buy gift cards.

I tried calling the number back, only to hear a message telling me the user has not set up their voice mail.

It should also be noted that gift2win.com was only created 17 days before this article was written, meaning that it’s most likely a throwaway domain name that they’ll use until the heat it on, and then dump it. The real culprit is most likely DailyDealFinder.com, which almost always appears in the terms of these scams.

Indeed, this site’s terms & conditions do reference DailyDealFinder.com. DailyDealFinder.com was the subject of a March post here for a “free” iPad, based on a similar rewards program. As mentioned in other articles, their Terms for this site start off:

DailyDealFinder.com
MEMBER INCENTIVE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Last Modified October 15, 2009

Bottom Line
There is no iPad3 or and other iPad to be “won” here…. Unless you can convince three of your friends to sign up for 13 “sponsor programs” and deal with relentless telemarketing which you have given permission to occur.

It’s a scam.

Did you receive a text for this offer? Please post the URL and phone number below to help us alert others!

• 307-213-0972