The ads for “free samples” are impossible to avoid. They often appear as side-bars, sometimes as expensive banner ads and even as pop-ups. The pitch is very simple: You can receive a week’s (or month’s, or six week’s) supply of pills that will do X (thoroughly clean out your colon, burn fat while you sleep or some other unlikely or even physically impossible task). The hook: In order to receive this free sample, you have to provide a credit card number. The credit card will not be charged for your free sample, the reader is assured, but it is necessary for verification purposes. Continue reading »