Claim your complimentary print copy, inside!
I know this sort of thing is often a scam. But it is The Economist, right?
Yes, technically the email comes from iberuss.com, which seems spammish, but the link you click on takes you to a web form at economist.com.
It all looks respectable and not like spam usually does.
No doubt The Economist wants to bombard you with marketing emails, as the price for your print copy, but I am potentially willing to pay that price.
Please enter your title, first name and surname.
Fair enough.
Please enter your email address.
You already have that. It can’t do much harm giving it again.
Please enter your phone number.
Less keen on that one. But okay, in exchange for a free print copy I’ll give you one of my mobile numbers. To be honest, I tend not to answer it unless I know who’s calling.
Thank you for giving us your details! Goodbye!
All right, it doesn’t say “goodbye”. But that does seem to be the end of the process.
No more links to click on.
I thought I would be asked for a mailing address so I could be sent the alleged free print copy.
But unless they are going to deliver it by means of flying drone homing in on my mobile phone location, I seem unlikely to get it.
The Economist must be getting a bit desperate if it’s having to resort to dodgy marketing tactics like this.