swansonager – what is matt up to?

Well, that’s just what’s happening to thousands of people across the US and other countries due to this online scam that is one of the most hidden scams that you didn’t even know you opted into (or didn’t even know you opted into). Nate Anderson over at arstechnica has a great summary of this elaborate scam that is taking (literally) billions from unsuspecting consumers.

Imagine that you visit Restaurants.com and purchase a gift card for a friend. During the checkout process, a screen asks if you want to save ten dollars on the purchase you just made, and it shows a single “Continue” button, as though this is just one more step in the process. On the next page, you are offered information about some kind of discount club that will give you cash back on the purchase you just made, and there’s a box for entering your e-mail address. You do so, thinking to yourself, “What can they do with my e-mail address, right? I’ll at least get some more information on what this is all about, or maybe I’ll sign up for this free trial. Can’t hurt, since they don’t have my payment info.”

Well, that’s just what you thought – can’t hurt, right? Wrong. Read Nate’s full article and the amazing scam that’s going on. If you don’t think that reputable companies are behind this scam, think again.

source: arstechnica