
Hey there, I was wondering if you see a jump in unsolicited spam-type emails and calls once you start responding to these offers and freebies? -Lisa
Great question, Lisa! And I think it’s one that a lot of people have.
Here are some of my thoughts:
1. Set Up a Separate Free Email Account
First off, you will get emails from companies that you sign up for offers and deals with. The main reason they are usually offering a freebie or coupon is so they’ll get your email address.
To prevent your main inbox from becoming overrun with offers and company emails, set up a separate email account to use for freebies and coupons. This is simple to do and will save you from dealing with a lot of spam or unwanted email in your main account.
2. Don’t Sign Up for Shady Freebies
If it sounds too good to be true, it often is. I try my best to vet deals before posting them, but occasionally something will slip past me.
Always check a site out if something looks off. Is it hosted on the main company’s site? Does the Facebook Page have a lot of entries and likes (there are a lot of scam Facebook Pages)? Is the offer mentioned on the company’s website or Facebook Page?

Some tell-tale signs of possible scams are:
- Blatant typos on a page
- A high-value freebie that’s hosted on a non-company site
- A bunch of hoops you have to jump through to get the freebie
- A site offering a free product that doesn’t tell you where you can actually buy the product (no shopping cart on the site and no links to where you can purchase it)
- A freebie advertised for a product that doesn’t seem to be available anywhere.
These aren’t always scams, but these are things I look for when deciding whether something is legit or not.
If you’re not 100% sure that an offer is legit, don’t sign up for it.
3. Don’t Give Out Your Phone Number
Unless you’re comfortable with it, don’t give out your phone number. Spam emails are not fun, but sales calls and texts are even much more disruptive in my opinion. Just skip offers that require a phone number and save yourself the headache!
Do the rest of you have advice to add for Lisa? I’d love to hear!





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