Beware of the Oprah E-mail Scam
If you've been the recipient of an e-mail that claims to give you a free trip to 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' don't click so fast. You might be looking at a scam. Admittedly it's a legal one and something that won't necessarily result in you losing your nest egg or all your personal info, but a scam nonetheless.
The e-mail claims that if you complete a simple survey you'll be the recipient of a $1,200 package including airfare, hotel, and tickets to Oprah's show (promising, in big type, that you'll "be a part of the show!"). But click on through and you'll find that the survey is actually a whopping 50 pages long. Only after you complete the opus are you told that in order to be eligible for the travel package, you need to also pay for one or more magazine subscriptions and agree to a host of other marketing promotions. So there's really nothing free about it. And despite Oprah's picture being featured prominently in the deal, this deal has nothing to do with Ms. Winfrey (who, for the record, gives away tickets to her show for free). In fact, Oprah's company, Harpo Productions, has asked the company responsible for this "deal" to remove all pictures and references to Oprah Winfrey.
We found the same "deal" for 'The Ellen Show' as well, along with of course a whole raft of similar sounding promotions for free things ranging from iPods to Xbox 360s. It should go without saying at this point that some old adages apply, even in modern times: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
From New York Post
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
F M Richbourg III said 3:50PM on 2-08-2008
Several of my best friends are addicted to cell phone usage and regularly try to persuade me buy one. However, I have been reading Dr. Mercola's reports of scientific studies on cell phone usage showing quite harmful effects from using them over a long period of time. Like laser eye surgery, this is one of technology's "miracles" I can do without in the interest of living a longer and more healthy life.
I can still remember being a young boy after the second world war when life was vastly different from what it is now. There are some things better about life now than then, however, there are also many things much worse. I miss the simple, authentic, real life experience of those times: kind, trustworthy and loyal friends, eating and drinking more healthy food, cleaner air, little road traffic, no noise polution, virtually no danger from crime and no exposure to the filth and degradation we see daily on TV and in the movies. On ballance, even though, as a writer, I enjoy the glories of word processing on my computer, the wonders of the Internet, Christian contemporary music and the rare great TV program and movie (Lord of the Rings), I believe most of us were genuinely happier during those innocent, largely pre-technological times so very long ago.
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Jody Palmer said 3:23PM on 6-24-2008
What I Really Am Sick Of Is Getting These Scam E-Mails From Publishers Clearing House, Stating That Their Contests Are Authentic! What A Crock !!! I Get About 3, Or 4 Of These E-Mails A Day!!! With All The Times That I Have Entered Their Stupid Contests, I Have Yet To Win Anything, & When I Have Been Notified In The Past, That I Have Won On One Of Their Stupid Scratch Games, Or Have Won An Entertainment Set, A New Car, Or Anything Else, I Have Never Received Anything At All! Infact, It Seems That Quite A While Back, They Were Popped On Fraud Charges, A Few Times, & Yet They Still Are Able To Continue Their Fraudelant E-Mail Scams, & Postal Mail Crap!!! I Got Sick Of Their E-Mails! So I Sent Some Of Their E-Mails To Scamletters@gmail.com, & This Didn't Seem To Help Much!! Now This So-Called Partners Of Theirs Called Blingo, Have Also Gotten A Hand In The P.C.H. E-Mail Scamming!!! Now Whenever You Verify The E-Mails That They Send You, You Get Sent To Blingo, & You Are Required To Check-Out Various Things, In Order To Win A Prize From Them, (Blingo) Which You Never Receive, Nor Do You Ever Win Anything!! Please Beware Of These Scams From P.C.H. & Blingo!!! It's Just A Big Waste Of Time!!!
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R. C. Beckom said 7:47PM on 1-26-2009
I have received theses type of offer the other day in my emails telling the same things I'm reading here, I'm so glad I read this, I 'm an author trying to find ways to promote my novel and I'm being told that I can get on the Oprah show. This shows me not act to quick and to think things though
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Sandra Cole said 2:30PM on 4-23-2007
These sites put a black mark on the legitimate offers out there. Thankyou for putting them in the spot light.
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Becky said 2:30PM on 4-23-2007
If you don't know by now that if something appears too good to be true via email, then you don't belong on the Internet.
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Thomas Walker said 2:37PM on 4-23-2007
I don't 'click' on anything I haven't prev asked for, so it's really a waste of (My) time AND whomever sends all this CRAP to my e box as I just delete anything that says FREE*
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kboogy21 said 2:53PM on 4-23-2007
I get those all the time! I don't even open them simply DELETE. As a matter of fact anything from anyone I don't recognize gets deleted.
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Denise said 3:00PM on 4-23-2007
I SENT HARPO PRODUCTIONS copies and pastings of these schemes, as I was getting them months ago.
They, per usual, ignore anything that doesn't have a DOLLAR MARK ATTACHED TO IT.
Sorry to those who have been scammed, I did my best, took a lot of time and effort to get their attention, while knowing the probability was 1Million:1.....
Sorry for those of you who got hurt, remember there celebrities don't really care. I only took the time from my busy day, to see if something would be done, perhaps the email read and taken seriously (as it should have been). But, it wasn't. Sometimes "we" just can't win.
Keep all eyes open, as there are too many scam artists out there, and MEGA MILLIONAIRES/BILLIONAIRES who don't care if you lose $100.00 or $10,000.00
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Donna said 3:08PM on 4-23-2007
If you open something from the internet that says it is free, YOU MIGHT BE A RED NECK. Here's your sign.
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Dee said 3:24PM on 4-23-2007
I stupidly did a survey once and it promises a ride on tractor. Oh, what a scam, I had to buy a magazine, subscribe to disney movies and bmg music. I did everything that they asked me to do and I never recieve the tractor. I e-mail, better homes and gardens, Disney & Bmg about this and never got a response I know that Better Homes & Gardens, Disney and Bmg are not responsible but I thought that they should know the company they hired to drum up customers does it promising items that you never get. I kept trying to contact them for six months but no one ever contacted me back. I have to give Opra credit when she found out she did something about it. I wish it would have worked for me. No such luck. P.S. since then subscribtion final ended and I have cancelled Bmg music and it process of cancelling Disney movies.
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Kathy said 3:16PM on 4-23-2007
I have received that email at least 3 times and just deleted it without opening it. Never open stuff like that - it's always junk email and leads to no good.
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Lucky said 3:27PM on 4-23-2007
I never open unsoliticed e-mail. You never know if it's someone phishing.
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harapango said 3:42PM on 4-23-2007
I get lots of offers from places like Nigeria to secretly collect a lot of cash. I usually reply and tell them I already collected it. Hopefully that sets them off.
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Jackie said 4:04PM on 4-23-2007
This and all scams are such a drag, have to take time to go thru my email clicking report spam the first time they arrive. After the first time my spam guard usually sends them straight to my spam folder.
The email scams that really annoy me are the ones that have an address so similar to someone in my address book and always have re: in the subject line. Now I have to take time to make sure it is from a friend or a legitimate company I do business with before I either click spam or open it. ANNOYING!
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phil said 3:55PM on 4-23-2007
Beware of Oprah in general...too many people are taking her advice in areas where she has no qualifications or knowledge.
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lori said 3:55PM on 4-23-2007
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS FROM....DON'T OPEN IT!!
THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY SCAMMERS OUT THERE!!
Lori
WWW.LALALIPS.COM
LIP COLOR THAT STAYS ON UNTIL YOU TAKE IT OFF!
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bianca jagger said 3:58PM on 4-23-2007
hey, harango, big mistake answering back. HUGE MISTAKE!!!
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bianca jagger said 4:02PM on 4-23-2007
sorry, not harango, HARAPANGO!!! AND ALL OF YOU OUT THERE , DON'T EVER EVER REPLY E-MAILS LIKE THAT, PLEASE, HUGE MISTAKE!
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George Roche said 4:06PM on 4-23-2007
OOOhhhhh NNnnnnoooo The fine folks who phone you and try to sell you something because you filled in a "SURVEY" know EXACTLY where your information came from and the insinuations & false promises made. They are NOT innocent people who are just trying to earn a living via telephone sales. I simply let them complete their sales pitch, agreeing whenever possible, and pretend to be interested, but "just not quite sure yet". I keep them on the phone as long as possible. When I am done playing (wasting their time) I talk over them while they are talking. They do figure out they are talking to a BALL BUSTER, as it is called in the industry, and hang up.
Time is precious to them, and a professional does NOT waste time; it really ticks them off to be bested by some housewife or retiree with nothing better to do.
George
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Pierpoint Windsor said 4:08PM on 4-23-2007
E-mails for attending the O show-not in my house.
#1 Can't stand Mz. Billionaire in your face bling O
#2 Never open or read unsolicited or em's from unfamiliar sources
#3 Is not lady O a scam artist herself. Oh I know she's Mz. perfect, and has answers to solve everyones problems. Remember well her wearing huge bling in the face of those less fortunate..Also I remember her 'giving away cars' to an audience only to be forced into admitting the give away was the auto manufacturer's promotional idea..O was merely the ideal for gaining wide commercial publicity.
#4 O is and remains an extremely savvy BUSINESS WOMEN. She has my respect for building he mega corporation and lasting this long. Having worked in the industry I well know the difference between the public personality and the private.
#5 For those who suspect I might be jealous,,,wrong, good for her, she's succeeded where others have not--bravo-she brings a great deal of joy into many folks lives.. She's just no longer my cup of chocolate...
#6 As a successful retiree with every comfort imaginable, and enough accumulated I believe the only place to put my bucks in helping others is in education---Nice Mz. O was thoughtful enough to provide for the young ladies in Africa...How much is she doing for US kids??? Probably plenty but we never seem to hear about that side--(?)
All TV shows provide free tickets, but free transportation is reserved only for specific guests.........
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