Free things aren't

1Look

The offer

Every one of them costs something. None of them says what.

2The idea

You know there is a catch. This is the catch.

You are not naive. You know nobody gives away skins. The useful bit is knowing exactly what they get instead: your login, your email, your account, or a picture. A free thing is a trade where they have not told you your half.

Boosting is the sneaky one. Handing over your password ‘for an hour’ is handing over the account. There is no hour. Your friends list, your purchases, the email it resets through, all of it goes with the password, and it does not come back.

3The idea

The five prices, and the question

Every free offer is really buying one of these:
Your login. ‘Just sign in here to claim it.’
Your email. ‘Where do I send it?’ Now they can reset your password.
Your account. ‘I’ll boost you, need your password for a bit.’
A picture. It comes a message or two later.
Real money. A parent’s card, once you are on their site.

The question is always the same: what do they get? Then the Two Questions. Do I have permission? Would I be happy telling Mum about this after? If you would not mention it at home, you already know what it is.

4The idea

Watch it work once

Zoe has squadded with the same player for a week. He is good and he is generous. Then: I can boost your account tonight, just need your login, I’ll change nothing. She asks what he gets. ‘Nothing, I just like helping.’ Nobody spends an evening working on a stranger’s account for nothing.

Would she tell her mum she gave a stranger her password? No. That is the answer. She types: nah, I’m good. He says fine, whatever. A week later he is gone, which tells her what the week was for. Her account is still hers.

5Your turn

Find what is being bought

The second message is the honest one. The first never is.

6Decide

A player you have squadded with for a week offers to boost your account. They need your login 'just for tonight'. You:

7Watch

The second message

It always looks like this. The ask comes after the yes, never before.

8Find them

Which of these is a 'free' offer usually really after?

Tap the ones that count.

9Say it

The rule, in seven words

You will need it the next time a free thing turns up with a login box under it.

10Do it

Before you leave this page