The FTC complaint alleges that the defendants were paid by the companies that advertised these offers. Consumers were told that to win the prize they had been offered, they were required to complete a number of “offers,” many of which involved either paid subscriptions to services, or applying for credit.
The registration process, the complaint alleges, was actually a method by which the defendants collected information about the consumers that was then sold to third parties.īut, as you’ve probably guessed by now, no one received a $1,000 gift certificate.Īfter victims provided their personal information, they were taken to sites owned by another group of defendants. We don't just keep you and your family protected, with us, you'll travel smarter and safer. Even if you run out of travel insurance or leave without it, World Nomads can cover you. World Nomads travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers, to cover your trip essentials.
When consumers clicked on the links in the spam text messages, they were taken to landing pages operated by one group of defendants, asking them to “register” for the free prizes they had been offered.Įlliott Advocacy is underwritten by World Nomads. This alleged scheme offers a sobering warning, not only about come-ons involving the word “free,” but also about what might be gained from offering something that, on its face, actually appears to be completely free.
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cracked down on the operations, with the defendants agreeing to pay $2.5 million in settlements. The messages included text such as, “Dear Walmart shopper, your purchase last month won a $1,000 Walmart Gift Card, go to within 24 hours to claim.” I’ve issued plenty of warnings about “free” products and some of you, dear readers, think I’ve gone too far.Īfter all, aren’t some of the best things in life free?īut you might also want to consider a tale of two companies - one in South Carolina, the other in California - which allegedly hired affiliate marketers to send millions of spam text messages to consumers around the country. Gifts stand prizes change every once in a while, and when they do, the prizes that were replaced cannot be obtained from gifts even if a player bought the gift before they were removed.If you clicked on this story for your “free” gift card, you’ll definitely want to keep reading. Now with the recent gifts update, players can obtain a legendary Growing Flower Hat from the gifts, the first legendary gift pet accessory, when it is on rotation. These legendary vehicles are on a constant rotation, with each vehicle being available for 7 days at a time. If a player opens a gift, they have a small chance of unboxing a limited-time legendary vehicle. Players will get their first free Small Gift from logging in for 5 days. Another way to obtain Gifts is after players log in for a certain number of days from their daily reward. The most common way to obtain gifts is through the gifts stand that is run by Santa near the School. These event gifts are often separate from the gifts that can be found from the gift board, and as such can be kept and traded even after the event is over. Various events also utilize gifts as the main way for players to collect exclusive event items. Although there are numerous ways to obtain gifts, the most common way is by purchasing them using Bucks. There are different types of gifts, and each gift has a different chance of containing items of different rarities. Gifts are items in Adopt Me! that give players random items when opened.