The first thing you would have done here is voluntarily giving contact details (phone number) its likely that following page links would request other details, by the time you are being told to provide mailing address etc you will have given them all the details required and probably find it was a prize draw you have entered into.
Somehwere among all this you will find a statement which advises you you are giving them the right to use your info for marketing purposes.
Your details are sold onto other companies who compile mailing lists and such. Thats when you will start to get spammed with phone calls selling you everything from insurance to window replacements etc.
Its likely not so insidious as attempts to get into your bank details or steal your identity whatever, its a way of getting your permission to use your home address and phone number etc to sell on to cold callers.
For anyone interested that may fall for this kind of scam.
Cold calling tactics:
The only way to stop it once it starts is to ask that you be taken off their list, this can take up to thirty days and you would have to do it for each individual company that was mailing or calling you, meantime your details and permission have been sold onto other such companies, its not illegal more annoying. The old saying "nothing is for free" is even more important on the web and in this case its literal, its not free, and you will get nothing.
Anyone receiving these kind of calls can be advised that the caller is trained to make at least three attempts at convincing you you cant live without the product, the only way the employee (caller) and yourself get off the hook is if you immediately ask to be taken off the call list, if they keep at you after that its considered harassment and they walk a thin line with that one.
If you go through it all and they accept you said 'no or not interested' you might well continue to be called by the same company, many of these employees will mark you down as 'not home' when they called since it affects their commission averages when unsuccessful, so its best to immediately ask to be removed.
You should bear in mind that though this may be the third time they called in a week that the person calling now may be unaware that their fellow worker pulled a fast one this way so dont be rude to them, simply ask to be removed from list and they are legally bound to do so and should give you a statement that you have exercised this right and inform you of how long it will take (all calls are recorded and monitored so it ties them up legally).
An even better solution is to remember that when asked to give details, there is no reason why ANY company, particularly web based should need these details unless for delivery purpose and even then ensure they dont ask for permissions in the small print.
Dont give your cell phone number to Facebook, Yahoo mail, Gmail and such either, I dont think they want to phone you to ask how your doing.Saying its additional security measures doesn't wash with me.
Even giving your bank your cell phone number could lead to them spamming you with offers of Credit cards etc.
The Bank wont phone you direct with offers but they will hand these details to call centre companies to do it for them.
BTW all those clicks and links pay off for someone too even if you dont take the bait so the originator of the advertisement makes money this way, easy earnings right?
Disclaimer:
I may be completely wrong about this and you just missed out on a free iPad 3, but I got to cover my own ass just like these companies do
The choice belongs to you but at least now its an informed one.
I don't trip over...I do random gravity checks.
