Guard against Possible Free Money Scams on Ghanaian TV and Radio Stations

I have seen a number of recorded programmes aired on some Ghanaian TV and radio stations that claim some companies are giving out money, but require interested persons to send some amount to a mobile money account to receive a bigger amount. Watching or listening to these programmes have always brought up the question, “Are they really giving out such free money? Could these be some sort of scams?”

How you may be able to spot free money scams

It is generally unreasonable, though not unheard of for the sake of business promotion, for people to give out money for free. However, you should generally treat offers of free money with caution. Your hypothesis when it comes to free money should be that it’s a scam until you can prove otherwise. In general, you should seek answers to some pertinent questions to decide whether the free money is likely to be genuine or a scam. Let’s explore some of these questions.

1. Is money being given away? Companies may attract customers with promotions. The usual forms of promotion are discounts; buy one, get one free; buy one product, get a different one for free; and buy one product, get a different one at a discount. It’s rare for businesses to give out free money as a form of promotion. Businesses would like customers to patronise their products or services in order to enjoy the offers that they provide. It’s therefore suspicious if a business decides to give out free money to people who have not directly patronised their products or services
2. How much money is being given away? In the rare event that a business gives out free money as a form of promotion, the amount involved should be reasonable. How much is reasonable? This is a tough question to answer as this is subjective. My advice is to do a little research into that type of business and that specific business to determine whether it makes sense to give out such an amount.
3. Is there a limit to the number of giveaways? If the offer has a limited number of offers, it could be genuine. However, if the number of offers is open, it’s nearly certain that it’s a scam, since it’s almost impossible or it doesn’t make business sense for a business to give out unlimited free money, even if the amount involved is small.
4. Is there a time limit? If a time limit is given for the offer, it could be a genuine offer. However, if the time is not capped, I would be suspicious of such an offer, since no business can give out free money in perpetuity.
5. If it’s a tv or radio presentation, is it live or recorded? A live program may indicate that the owners are tracking the giveaways and may stop when the allocated funds are exhausted. On the other hand, a recorded program that is replayed may show that the owners are simply looking for people to scam because they’re not really giving away any money, so they can afford to broadcast it perpetually.

Don’t be fooled by the phone-in or supposedly live testimonies

Almost, if not all, these programmes present phone-in or recorded video testimonies to convince viewers or listeners to send in their monies. Don’t be fooled. Those who phone in, or are shown in the interviews, can easily be part of the network of the scam business. They could also be people who have been paid to act. Always use the checklist above to help you decipher possible scams.

Do your research

In this digital age, it’s very easy to find information. A little bit of online research could save you a huge regret later. Just google the business or subject that is being promoted and you’ll quickly find out whether the promotion is genuine or fake. A business that can give out free money should have an online presence. Searching their website or social media accounts should reveal whether they’re running such a promotion or not.

Conclusion

In order to determine a possible scam, check how much money is being given away, whether there’s a time limit or a limit to the number of giveaways, and whether the programme is live or recorded, and do not be fooled by the testimonies, which could be staged. I hope that after reading this article, you will be cautious when you hear about free money on TV or radio, and not become a victim of scammers.