Here is another online scam to pay attention to. Free online IQ tests that require you to give out your cellphone number in order to receive your “results” from the test. These ads and pop-ups are showing up on Yahoo, Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The results are always the same when you take one of these IQ tests. You end up getting billed via your cell phone for a variety of things you have no clue about. The results from these tests are not even real, and are totally bogus and worthless. If you are serious about IQ test results, visit the Mensa site for an accredited IQ test and results.
The way these other online IQ tests work is that after you take a short quiz, you have to submit your cell phone number for them to send you the results. Then you are billed for a $4.99 to $9-99 usage charge on your phone just for answering the call or text they send you. Another way they do this is by sending you a text with a pin number that you have to enter into their website to get your test results which then bills your phone. Some of the offers do have fine print that states you will be charged on your phone for various services. The problem is that a lot of kids see the “Free IQ Test” banner and want to try it just out of curiosity, then the charges show up on the phone bill that the parents are paying for. Sometimes you will get billed for recurring services of $19.99 per month for services you did not sign up for. (These include ringtones, membership charges, monthly IQ tests, etc.)
Here are just a few of the many advertisers you may have seen offering “Free IQ tests”
Scamcell
Free IQ Test
Cellfish media
Flycell
Media Logic
Simply Hired
Cellflirt
BG telemedia services
Too Lazy Alerts
Playphone Ringers
There is also quite an extensive list of IQ test grievances on complaintsboard.com detailing the ways these offers get your money. They are not free at all, and will cost you money and a lot of aggravation. Kids are a primary target, because they do not pay attention to fine print and details on the advertisements. Getting your accounts adjusted is almost impossible. Some fake online jobs even ask you to take a “free IQ test” but you end up with the same headaches as the banner ad offers.
Listed below are some of the complaints associated with free IQ tests:
Attempt to text cancel cost $4.99
Continued “service” after stopping
Unauthorized fees
Unable to stop billing
Auto renew billing
Free trial costs full amount
Most of the cellphone carriers are listed as being hit by these charges, so check your phone bill for any unauthorized charges. The complaints listed include carriers such as Sprint, Nextel, Alltell, Verizon, etc. It may be best to avoid these free IQ tests altogether, and please tell your children to do the same. Just skip all the aggravation, and thanks for reading.
Please see related informational articles in this online scam series below.
Fake Online Job Offers, How and Why They Do it
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2297331/fake_online_jobs_how_and_why_they_do.html?cat=7
Acai Berry: Scams Everywhere, Buyer Beware
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1990558/acai_berry_scams_everywhere_buyer_beware.html?cat=7
Teeth whitening scams
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2026168/teeth_whitening_scams_buyer_beware.html?cat=35
Credit history scams
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2273139/free_credit_check_scams_beware.html?cat=4
Google cash scams
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1988702/google_cash_scam.html?cat=7
