You Should Never Enter A Free Food For Life Contest. Here's Why

Free food is hard to say no to, especially when you're being tempted by sweepstakes that guarantee it for life. It seems relatively simple, just click on those links that keep popping up, and suddenly you'll have the chance to win free food from your favorite outlet. Just picturing the ability to walk into KFC or Burger King for the rest of your life and eat to your heart's content without paying a dime is enough to make you drool — and it's a rather attractive proposition that's hard to pass up.

Consider the deal that McDonald's came up with in 2018. According to Fast Company, the brand gave its fans a chance to enter a contest that would give them the opportunity to win the McGold Card, which would let them enjoy two free meals every week for 50 years. The process was easy, too: customers were asked to follow a simple set of instructions while ordering from the McDonald's app to be a part of the contest. This gave the public a chance to win a prize that very few people in the world have access to, such as Bill Gates. Yes, even the billionaire owns a Gold Card that lets him relish a free meal at any McDonald's outlet globally (via Delish).

But as enticing as this all sounds, there's something you should know about contests that claim to give you free food for life. Here's the lowdown.

As appealing as free food is, it's important to exercise caution while exploring the murky world of food contests. What's the problem? Well, as Snopes reported, some of these contests are just a way for scammers to get access to your personal information. It's likely that clicking on an unverified link will direct you to a website that's basically a Facebook clone, and it'll request private details that may seem innocuous while signing up for a contest. However, these fake contests are run by scammers who can use that information to their advantage. So, be careful not to get too carried away when you spot an ad that guarantees you free food for life.

What you can do instead is ensure that you always look at verified sources, such as brand's website or its official social media pages for the most accurate information instead of clicking on shady links that promise you free meals. That way, you'll be safe from pesky scammers. After all, it's better to pay for your food than end up losing a huge chunk of your money to a scam.