Is this Survey Email a Scam??

A lot of people are getting emails from companies like Costco and Best Buy that want them to take a survey. But who are these emails really from and what's the catch? In this video I'll go down the rabbit hole and show you what I learned!

[chioptnstdr]

The one thing about this channel is that you expose new scams QUICKLY and it is recognized and appreciated 😀

[rickparker]

You neglected to mention the "countdown" timer that appears on screen, when selecting free gift. It is there to rush the victim, but when it reaches ZERO, it starts over again. All part of the scam.

[benparks]

If it's shady and taking advantage of people, then it's scam. Great video! Keep up the good work.

[bilistooka_go_boom]

Thank you for this. I work in fraud prevention and there are SO many people that fall for these scams. Enough that its almost a standard question I ask.

[kritsadventures]

It's absolutely a scam. Misrepresenting yourself, even if they give you something, .makes them scammers.

[PleasantGreen]

Ok turns out you have to flip the watch around to charge it. It still sucks!

[SpicyMeataball]

My general rule is: "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." There's always a catch.

[pappamonkey]

That they are initially presenting themselves as Costco, and doing so for financial gain makes this a scam. Great video. Thanks for being so thorough, so we don't have to :)

[elizabethgrogan]

I receive several suspect E-mails per day. I just delete them. I suggest that others do the same. Thanks Ben. You play a vital role in protecting others from scammers.

[pvanukoff]

Just once, I'd like someone to actually track down the people that run one of these operations and expose them for the scumbags that they are. Not the phone operators, who are probably doing it out of necessity, but the people at the top. And by "expose them", I mean something far worse.

[guarami]

You plugged the watch into the USB upside down, it does actually work... my GF got hit with this and they tried to charge her 113.00$ - the bank didn't release the funds. I think we got lucky, because she only authorized 5.00$ which is about what the watch is worth.

[bna]

Most definitely a scam. This is a hidden subscription service. They're nearly impossible to get out of. Just because they offer you something in return is irrelevant. They deceived you into signing up for something you didnt know about.

[alexandwhite]

you sir have some dedication to go down this kind of rabbit hole! haha i love man. Good thing you're using privacy, I can't imagine having my cards charged monthly for this junk

[lrdduck-rust]

Reminds me of the 90s/early 00's when you'd see ads in magazines that would say 12.00 dollars for 12 CDS. They would be new albums but they'd hook you on the monthly subscription in the fine print.

[coinsagEm]

My parents just last weekend fell for this exact scam (I'd say it is a scam for sure) and I had to break it to them, then sent them your video. Hopefully they'll be more careful in the future.

[AnonAtry]

This was one of the most common scams I dealt with at a credit card company, most of the calls I dealt with were people thinking they were getting iPhones and other devices just for the price of delivery, they would then be charged £50 monthly until it was flagged or they realised.

[Chimerayuri]

I love how you’re very slick with these companies with the burner card. That is such a useful thing

[Brian]

My spouse accidently fell for this, it was a text saying it was a "free" smartwatch from verizon. Same deal, pay for shipping. Got the same watch. Fortunately by that point we had cancelled her card so we didn't get dinged. BTW you had plugged in the watch backwards at least in your video. But you are not missing much. Crap quality, fake "heart rate" sensor that consists of two LEDs that magically pick up your O2 and heart rate even if its sitting on the desk.

[The_Keh]

I'd like to see you cover the scam ads that appear on and promoted by youtube. things like "how to get a free mini fridge" etc.

[justindouglass]

DUDE I FELL FOR THIS!! igot this same survey that looked sorta legit and so sneaky looked JUST LIKE THIS. i ended up paying 5.95 and 9.95 for shipping for 2 items. a flashlight and a friggin dash cam. they were zupposedly "gifts". anyways 2 weeks later i get charged like 109$ and 89$ for the 2 items. i called up the biz that charged my card and they say i signed up for a trial price. i immediately got and RMA # and mailed both items back. funny part is the items were so cheesy they were still on my counter i had no desire to use either