KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Are you smart enough to spot a scam? Intelligence tests on Facebook promise to test your IQ level in minutes, but if you’re not careful they could end up billing you upwards of $10 a week directly to your phone.
The tests are composed of several questions, but on the last question the IQ test asks for users to enter their cell phone number, so they can receive their score on the last question. However, when someone enters their phone number without reading the fine print, they are actually signing up for a renewal subscription.
That subscription charges money directly to your phone bill, according to the Better Business Bureau. Verizon and Sprint recently settled with the Federal Communications Commission over what’s known as “cramming.” That’s the practice of burying charges on your bill for services you did not authorize, didn’t want or didn’t need. That includes everything from charges for horoscopes, celebrity gossip, sports tips, wallpaper for your phone and IQ test results.
The Better Business Bureau recommends never providing your cellphone online, because whatever text messages your receive will be billed to your account. If a Facebook user receives a link from someone on Facebook or Twitter, they said it is likely a scam or someone has hacked into one of your friends’ accounts.
If your friend’s account has been hacked, the Better Business Bureau recommends deleting the message and changing your login details you can avoid being hacked.
