Winning an Apple iPhone for free on the Internet is easier than you might think. Although there are literally hundreds of iPhone sweepstakes and prize draws online, unfortunately a small minority are set up to mislead users. Following a few simple guidelines can help steer clear of iPhone competition scams and improve your chances of winning a prize.

A look at the iPhone competition organisers

The first step in determining if an iPhone competition is genuine is to take a look at who's running the promotion.

Focus on any evidence of a track record in this sector: have the organsers successfully given away iPhones in this way before and if so how many? What are their credentials as a prize competition organiser?

In the UK, anyone handling personal information online will usually be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), so look out for an ICO number in the footer or website T&Cs.

In addition, experienced competition organisers will usually display their registration address and contact details should players wish to contact them directly.

Any evidence of past iPhone prize winners?

Many competition websites provide information about previous winners and this can provide useful clues as to the type of promotion you are about to enter.

In short, the more details you can find about past winners, the better: photos, full names, winners' quotes, competition entry details and even audio or video interviews are all useful information to check before entering a competition.

Unfortunately, as most competition organisers are aware of the importance of trust, some display details of past winners without having actually run any promotions yet at all.

Take a closer look if there is a lack of photos, if winners' names are too generic (e.g. Tony Smith), anonymous or very short quotes and generally a lack of information about the timing and type of competition they are supposed to have won. Look out for any images of players that seem to have been copied or purchased from another website.

Review the competition Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) are an essential document summarising all the key information users should know about a competition. Amongst other things, it details how the promotion is run, under what conditions a prize will be awarded, player eligibility, when it is scheduled to end and who to contact and under what circumstances.

If you notice that T&Cs are incomplete, out of date or contain too many mistakes or typos, this suggests the organisers of the competition haven't spent enough time drafting the document.

In some cases, organisers deliberately omit certain details such as the closing date or conditions of the draw.

Whenever you are considering entering an iPhone competition (or any other prize draw or sweepstake for that matter), make sure you are comfortable with all aspects of the T&Cs, as this document essentially acts as the contract between the organisers and the players.

If you are unsure about certain points in the T&Cs or don't feel comfortable about how the document is drafted, don't hesitate to contact the organisers for more information.

Mechanics of the competition

iPhone competitions usually fall under 2 main categories: games of chance and skill based prize competitions. In the UK, organisers are generally not allowed to charge an entry fee for games of chance (such as prize draws, lotteries or raffles) unless they hold a valid gaming license or are registered as a charity or non-profit organisation.

The Gambling Commission provides little guidance about what is considered skill but as a general rule any competition based on answering a simple question is not deemed to be a genuine prize competition.

Taking into account other factors such as their appeal and marketability, this helps explain why most iPhone sweepstakes and prize draws are free to enter online. Organisers seek to recover their expenses (including the cost of financing the prize) by converting players into customers further down the line, or finding other ways of monetising the website or email list.

Try to understand how the competition is run and if there is any information in the T&Cs about how the prize is financed or whether the organisers intend to sell or share your information with third parties. This may be perfectly acceptable (depending on who those third parties may be) however many experienced compers use an alternative email address to enter free competition to filter out marketing emails from personal ones.

A small minority of iPhone promotions ask users to submit their mobile phone numbers to subscribe to paid services for a chance of winning an iPhone. This type of promotion can end up being more expensive than anticipated - for example by having to pay for automated text messages sent by the company further down the line.

Look closely at the small print to make sure you are fully satisfied with the full costs you are likely to incur as often the competition entry page will be designed to appear attractive and may not disclose the full costs up-front. In some cases, disreputable mobile phone companies make it difficult to unsubscribe from such services.

Sharing your personal information

Most competition organisers will ask for basic contact details both for the purpose of running the promotion and to contact you for marketing reasons.

Consider how comfortable you are revealing your personal details and which ones are truly required to get in touch with you if you win the prize.

In some cases, you may find that registration requires revealing more detailed information such as your purchase patterns, favourite newspapers, age group and marital status. While this can be used purely for the purpose of gathering more detailed demographic information, check which fields are optional and which ones are mandatory.

Be vigilant if a website requires your credit card details even though the competition is seemingly free to enter and you are not aware of signing up to any services. Of course, if you are entering a paid iPhone competition you will be asked to submit payment for your entries - if possible, try to use recognised payment providers such as PayPal that provide a secure third party payment solution to protect your payment details.

Ability to opt out of promotions

Whenever you are asked to subscribe to a new service as part of a competition entry, review the T&Cs to understand under which conditions you will be allowed to opt out, particularly if you are asked to sign up providing your mobile phone number.

Most professional websites will feature detailed information about how to opt out of their services, including emails which usually feature links to unsubscribe from certain messages.

If there is no clear indication of how to opt out or unsubscribe, once again don't hesitate to contact the organisers to clarify any questions you may have. This can also be a good way to determine how responsive and professional the company behind the competition really is.

These days there are so many different competition formats online it can be confusing to separate genuine iPhone prize draws from the small minority of promotions where the organisers don't intend to deliver the prize or are seeking to harvest data without your knowledge or consent.

Follow these simple steps before entering any competition to improve your chances of excluding promotions that don't fit your needs, including offers that are clearly not genuine.

If you've had any bad experiences entering competitions online, or on the contrary have good stories to share about winning an iPhone in a prize draw or competition, don't hesitate to share them here. Likewise, please leave a comment below if you have any other useful advice for other users, your thoughts and reactions are welcome.

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