Marketing: iPad review spam a professional scam?

The message says

"Hello [email address]Your contact Sin Yong You invites you to participate in an iPad review program.Marketing research companies are looking for individuals who are interested in reviewing the new Apple iPad. The testing period lasts one month, after which reviewers can keep the device as a reward. To see more details or to register to our program, follow the link below: [web address: reviewerscircle.com]"

But the spam has hit many people - currently estimated in the millions - this morning. Sin Yong You is one of many different names used. There's a reply address at jorakman@gmail.com (which we are happy to publish so it gets picked up by spam-bots and flooded).

There are reports that, once connected to the site, it requests a wide range of personal information - and your e-mail account and password.

Aside from the fact that any real review request would not be sent out in a random spam, there is also the fact that a quick Google search shows that it has also been posted to newsgroups which have bounced it.

It's quite well done and will fool people. Make sure you are not one of them.

As we know, APPLE has said it has been shocked by the demand for the iPad: there are, simply, not large numbers of them out, in the wild, waiting for reviews.

Hell, they haven't even sent us one, so you can be pretty sure a random e-mail isn't going to snag one for you!