There are certain things about the general public that I'll never figure out.  The first thing is that people are so obsessed with adding customized ringtones to their cellular phones.  The next thing I'll never understand is why people continue to fall for gimmicky advertisements that claim to offer you something for free. 

I thought I'd find an example to show here.  It didn't take long, I went to over to MySpace and the very first page I clicked on had this ad.  Lets face it,  it costs money for companies to place advertisements like the one you see to the left.   None of them are going to pay for these ads because they are so generous they want you to have a free gift!

I clicked on it.  So, what did I find?  It took me to a page where it asked me to put in my cellular telephone number.  Since I knew it was a fraud, I decided to close the browser instead of putting in my number.  Unfortunatly, the page refuses to allow me to close my browser without agreeing to the terms, so I eventually have to force-close my browser using a Control-Alt-Delete.   That right there should tell you that you aren't exactly dealing with a legitimate and honest company.  

So, what would happen if I had put in my number?  In most cases you will get your free ringtone, along with a new monthly subscription for more ringtones, and other "phone spam" that will get sent to you on an irritatingly regular basis.  You'll find teens fall for this more than any other.  These people actively target teenagers in their advertising for several reasons:

• Teens feel like they need ringtones to "be cool" (as if the phone didn't come with enough of them built in)
• Teens often don't pay their own phone bills, so they won't notice the monthly charges.
• Their parents are probably used to large phone bills anyway since teens can really rack up the charges, and these ringtones are difficult to distinguish (especially for parents who don't even know what they are) on the bill.
• Getting these subscriptions deactivated is diffuclt at best, teens often don't want to mess with it.  (After all, its not their money!)

The ringtone business is essentially a complete fraud.  I challange you to find a ringtone company that will allow you to purchase an individual ringtone with no strings attach, no fraudulent advertising, and no tricks.  You won't find one.  (With the exception of Apple Computer, who is doing this for the iPhone through iTunes.) 

So what advice can I give you to save you from headaches, annoying spam showing up as text messages on your phone, and a big fat bill every month for your cell phone?

• If you see an advertisement for a ringtone, do not click it.  That is the best thing I can tell you.
• Your cellphone comes with dozens of built-in ringtones, use one of those.
• Check your cell phone bill, especially if you had kids with phones.  If you see something you suspect is one of these fraudulent ringtone companies, call your cellular provider immediately and have them remove it from your service.
• Talk to your kids about these scams.  Explain to them that they are all scams, and what the consequences are.
• If you absolutely must have a new ringtone, install it yourself!  That's right.  Most phones will accept ringtones in the format of a MID, MP3, or WAV file.  Read the manual to your phone.  Find the file you want on the internet and send it to your phone yourself!  This will get you what you want without going through one of those scams!

Remember what your Momma always used to say, "Nothing in this world is free."