It’s very easy for consumers to fall pray to free samples ads posted online, according to KOMO News. ‘Free’ however, ends up not being free and instead, consumers are faced with a bill for goods they didn’t sign up for.

The ads vary from memory enhancers to diet pills and all of them claim to be free if you pay shipping and handling. Often, the product ad claims to be endorsed by popular celebrities like Oprah or Dr. Mehmet Oz of the "Dr. Oz" show. Even these claims are false and celebrities are fighting back with law suits.

In addition, once you sign up for the free trial, the company continually sends you products to try. Pretty soon, the charges start to add up and you could be faced with a bill you’re unwilling to pay.

The best advice is to avoid free trial offer from an unknown company where you have to pay for shipping. If you make a purchase, use a credit card -- not a debit card because it’s a lot easier to deal with fraud when the charge is on a credit card.

Finally, if you've been burned by one of these offers, file a complaint with the attorney general's office or the Federal Trade Commission.

Read the full article at KOMO News, by clicking here.