Facebook: Fake Freebies

Facebook Freebie: How the Scam Works, From Samsung Galaxy M01

(with video below) There are several things scammers promise for free to Facebook users, claiming the website's generosity or new partnerships. The latest is the Facebook 16th Anniversary scam, which promises you any of the items listed below (the most recent, as per the 14-year anniversary, 15-year anniversary, and so on):

1. “5,000 free Samsung Galaxy M01 smartphones” or “Samsung Galaxy S20Ultra or  Z Flip” scam

2. “Free Tesco or Primark voucher” scam

3. “Sony needs testers for Play Station PS5”

4. “Free iPad Mini from Apple” scam

5. “XBOX Series  X – Keep it” scam

6. “Free Hair Straigthener” scam

7. “Celebrate 45 years of Starbucks – Get a $100 Gift card”

8. “Free Facebook shirt” scam

9. “Two Free Southwest Airline tickets” scam

10. “Free Christmas Themes for Facebook users” scam

11. “Free Facebook Pen Drives” scam

12. “Free NFL shirts” scam

13. (in Australia) “Free gift vouchers to Woolworths or Harvey Norman” scam

14. (in Australia): “$500 Bunnings Warehouse Gift Card”

15. (in Great Britain) “Free Asna supermarket gift card”

They are all similar, but let's take a look in more detail at what the scammers have to “offer” for every single one of them:

The way the scam works typically is that the viewer is required to like a photo, share it, and also likes a fake Facebook product page (say Samsung Galaxy M01 Facebook page). “We are giving away 5,000 Samsung Galaxy M01 to 5,000 Lucky Fans for FREE. All that you need to do is complete the easy steps below to participate! (Worldwide),” the posts read.

How about this message: “Sony needs testers for the new PlayStation 5. You will get to keep the new PS5 after you've tested it. We will contact the winners through Facebook. If you want to be a tester for the new PS5, you must share this photo and like our page. We will choose people at random in 1 week”?

There is also the free iPad Mini give away. “Are you an Apple fan? Click HERE to get the free iPad Mini”, says the offer. Clicking on the link, it takes you to a rogue Facebook application that automatically posts the offer on your wall, urging your friends to participate.

What happens with rogue applications is they can extract your personal information and spread spam and scams across your social media platform.

Another one is the Hair Straightener scam. “We have got 569 GHD Hair straighteners that can't be sold because they have been unsealed. Therefore we are giving them away for free,” the announcement reads. The fake profile also claims winners will be chosen to receive a straightener very soon. To make the scam more convincing, crooks use logos and photographs of the authentic ghd Australia.

Also, If you clicked links in the hijacked Facebook post relating to a fraudulent $100 Starbucks gift card, your computer may be infected with malware and you will be spreading the fake $100 Starbucks gift card spam message to your friends.

The pages looks so real that hundreds of thousands of people fell victims in the last year. Opening the links will require the user to provide personal information in order to receive the shirt. Identity theft is just a click away.

All the scams above come as links which Facebook users are required to open. They are asked to either register, fill out a form with personal information, or download software. Opening the links leads to not only giving away information scammers need, but also to installing keystroke logger and malware. Alternatively, users are required to fill spammy survey pages that generate affiliate cash to scammers.

 

How To Find Out If a Facebook Profile Is Fake

Here is some good news. Watch the video below to see how you can easily identify if the profile contacting you on social media is a fake (you can apply to all, not just Facebook).

 

 

Fake Facebook Freebie: How to Avoid

Don't click on any of these tempting offers. If you do, the link will automatically be posted on your wall and you will spam all of your friends. Revoke the application's publishing rights and delete all the messages. There are no free shirts or any other items from Facebook. Think about it: the site will reach its billionth user soon – do you think there are a billion shirts available? Report these scams to Facebook Security.

 

Facebook Freebie: How To Report a Scammer

Warn your family and friends about the Facebook Freebie Scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:

Report To The FTC Here

 

How To Prevent Identity Theft and More

If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodic emails – we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.


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selma hrynchuk
Selma HrynchukSelma is a fraud prevention specialist renowned for her expertise in private eye investigations and a remarkable partnership with law enforcement agencies. Beyond her investigative triumphs, her public speaking engagements and written works have empowered countless individuals to protect themselves and stay ahead of deceptive schemes. Selma's legacy shines as a tenacious agent of change, unyielding in her commitment to battling fraud and ensuring a safer world for all.

2 thoughts on “Facebook: Fake Freebies”

  1. I got a redirect virus from websites like Electronic Promotion, Reward Zone USA, and Greenville Lucky users when on facebook or searching the web this app redirects you to a page that says congrats,you’ve been selected as a lucky winner, 19minutes to choice iPad 6 etc. It’s a fake face book page! It’s very dangerous and can steal your info. It’s a toolkit virus.

  2. https://m.facebook.com/messages/read/?tid=id.506392769395115&_rdr#!/LittleFashionNursery?ref=m_notif&notif_t=photo_comment
    There’s a few people on Facebook entering competitions, on this page they offer prams, baby clothes, all kids things, were concerned it might be a peadofile as there is nothing else they can gain from doing this, no one ever wins, and the links they use are also fake, could you check this for me, quite a few have reported to facebook but nothing as been done yet

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