There have been reports of people winning, so I don't think it's entirely fair to call it a scam. I think the bigger issue is the flexible rules they're using

There have been reports of people winning, so I don't think it's entirely fair to call it a scam. I think the bigger issue is the flexible rules they're using depending on the store/employee. I think they had some original rules (phone must be able to turn off and on, make calls, have data plan), but they were apparently thrown out the window when they saw the massive response from people looking to cheaply upgrade their old phones. I hadn't seen the link you posted before, but that and my experience do seem to show that the managers seem to be subjectively deciding some of the close cases. I wonder what will happen to any extra laptops a store has after the challenge ends tomorrow. If, perhaps, the store employees or such get them, maybe that would explain some of it. (For the record, I doubt it. But it would explain a lot.)