We’re getting reports of another scam doing the rounds on Facebook & Twitter. This time, scammers are trying to recruit “iPad testers” to receive Apple’s latest gadget free of charge, in return for reporting on its useability and functionality.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Here’s how the scam works

The scammers create a page called “iPad Researchers Wanted – Get An iPad Early And Keep It!”, “The Mega iPad Giveaway” or similar. They recruit fans, who are then encouraged to recruit other fans from their facebook friends.

When you sign up, you’re taken to a quiz, and asked to enter your mobile number to receive the results.

You (and all the friends you invited…) will then be signed up for a premium rate subscription service which will cost you in the region of $10 (£6.70) every week until you unsubscribe.

Graham Cluely, senior analyst at Internet Security firm Sophos said “”Not all of them pretend to offer an iPad, so be on your guard for other scams too. The most important thing to remember is to not invite your friends to any Facebook page or application until you have thoroughly researched what it’s about. Furthermore, you should never be tempted to hand over your mobile phone number to some daft internet quiz.”"

Sophos have released a useful video explaining how the scam works:

At Scam Detectives we often get emails promising us loads of free stuff. Goodies offered have ranged from free laptops, mobile phones, holidays at Disney World, $5,000 in free clothes/footwear from Nike/Adidas/Puma and even a free car from Honda.

Whatever the goodies on offer, there’s only 1 requirement, and that’s to forward the email to loads of our contacts to spread the good news, copying in the original sender so that the emails can be “tracked”.

It’s a scam. There is no free laptop, no mobile phone, no holiday, cash or car. This is simply a ruse to harvest as many email addresses as possible to go on the scammer’s list for Email Scams or Viruses and Malware.

Don’t be tempted to send these emails on, you won’t be doing yourself or your friends any favours, and all you’ll get in return is a load of spam!

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