As social media usage continues to rise, the prevalence of online scams has become increasingly common. Facebook, in particular, has been a breeding ground for fraudulent giveaways that aim to trick users into giving away their personal information or money. These scams can be difficult to identify, but with some knowledge and caution, users can protect themselves from falling victim to these deceptive schemes. In this article, we will explore how to spot and avoid Facebook scam giveaways.
What are Facebook scam giveaways?
How can you spot a Facebook scam giveaway?
What should you do if you come across a Facebook scam giveaway?
In conclusion, being aware of Facebook scam giveaways is crucial to protect yourself from potential financial loss and identity theft. By learning how to spot and avoid them, you can enjoy using Facebook as a platform for connecting with friends and family without worrying about falling victim to fraudulent activities. Remember to always exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of any giveaways before participating. Stay safe and informed, and enjoy your social media experience to the fullest!
Facebook is a great way to keep touch with friends and family, and for many small businesses to raise awareness of their product or attract new customers. But for every one of those genuine business-related quotes, there are many more scams waiting for you to click like. Clicking onto a site from a promotional offer on Facebook can lead to your computer being affected by a virus or malware, or taking liberties with your personal information and friend list. You may also be required to click through a link to a site that then charges your mobile for services you did not want or did not know you would be charged for. As the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Companies often use major brand names such as Disney to promote fake prizes and giveaways – their Facebook page name will be something very similar to the brand they are claiming to be from but will be slightly different in some way. Always check if the page name relates to the genuine company. If you click onto a page to enter a competition to win one of these fabulous prizes, check to see when the page was set up and whether there are many other posts on the page. A genuine page from a major brand will have countless posts, a small fraction of which might be promotions and never for major, expensive giveaways. Often one-off prize giveaway pages will have been set up in the previous week – take a look at the date of the oldest post. Often only their first name appears. Another type of scam involves tempting you to click on to a link or page, not in the hope of gaining a prize but out of morbid curiosity, outrage or interest. Commonly taglines will say things like check this out before it gets banned! Scammers know that many people cant resist this kind of thing and use lures like these to persuade people to like their page. These pages can introduce malware or viruses or are just a phishing expedition aimed at driving you to a site for which the scammer is paid per like. If the content sounds like something racy, salacious or horrifying, chances are it isnt real. Run the title through your search engine first. Chances are that fakes will have been reported by other users and can be found out easily enough. If you do click on the page, you will be asked for extra information always personal to verify something – usually to verify that you are human as opposed to a computer. This gives the impression that the site is trying to protect itself, when in fact it is trying to glean as much information about you as possible. Any page that requires you to take a survey i. Keep your anti-virus and malware protection up to date and set your Facebook privacy settings carefully and check them regularly. Related Content.
Giveaways are a popular tool that businesses use to engage customers on social media, particularly Facebook. But, unfortunately, there are some disreputable characters out there who use giveaways to scam people. Worse still, some are downright dangerous. Scammers worked out a long time ago that people love free stuff. After all, people want to allow their friends to win a prize. The problem with many of these giveaways is that there is rarely a prize. The more likes and shares that a particular giveaway scam gets, the more likely it is to appear in random news feeds, encouraging yet more people to click and share. Eventually, it spreads like wildfire throughout the network, giving the scammers all the data they need. Unfortunately, many of these scams are also downright dangerous if you or your friends click them. Any of the following scenarios are possible. Okay, so Facebook scams are bad, but how do you spot them? If a company posts a giveaway on Facebook, then they usually confirm it on their website. Go to their site and check to see whether there is any information about the competition. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. People offering enormously enticing products are just doing whatever they can to make you click the link. Allowing scammers access to your device information can compromise your identity and grant them access to personal information. You should never give out bank details or passwords on social media, even if it appears that the bank or social media company is asking for it. Finally, some scammers ask you to complete a survey to be entered into their competition. These surveys can then install malware on your computer. Skip to content. Facebook page opens in new window Twitter page opens in new window Instagram page opens in new window Linkedin page opens in new window. Any of the following scenarios are possible A link infects your computer with malware You are forwarded to a site which tries to scam you out of money The scammers collect personal details, such as your birthday, that they can use to access other accounts The scammer hijacks your profile. Check the Company Website If a company posts a giveaway on Facebook, then they usually confirm it on their website.