Pepsi Grant Compensation Scam

 

Pepsi Grant Compensation: How the Scam Works

Pepsi is the second-largest seller of soft drinks worldwide. They often run prize giveaways and promotions which are widely advertised, as another form of advertisement for their successful brand. However, a recent round of emails is claiming to be from Pepsi and stating that people will receive a generous donation of $2,600/person due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The gesture is arguably made to help all the families during the COVID-19 crisis. The scam comes only 24 hours after the Starbucks Gift Card fraud surfaced using the same tactics.

It is a scam that occurs throughout the year, whether the name used in emails is Pepsi, Starbucks, McDonald's, IKEA, Zara or any other brands. How does it work?

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Gift Card Scam Video

Aside from the COVID-19 reference, the typical Pepsi Grant Compensation Scam the message claims that you are a winner of $890,000 in the 2020 Grant Compensation Prize Drawing or some other fake contest. The amount varies, as you can see in the Coronavirus twist above, so don't really pay attention to the amount, but rather to how the scam works.

In order to claim your prize you must pay the tender's insurance fee of $141. Of course there is no prize and you are now out $141 with little to no chance of recovering your lost funds.

This is how the content of the e-mail looks like (grammar mistakes included):

 

Attention Consumer/Email Owner,

Your e-mail address was among the lucky winners of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company 2020 Grant compensation and You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of USD $890,000.00 and Participants were selected through MTN Global Network online ballot system drawn. 

A Cheque of USD$890,000.00 has been Issued to you and deposited with the FedEx Courier Company (West Africa,Nigeria) For Delivery to you and For your information, we have paid the Delivery fee and Security Keeping fee & Shipping charges as well as the Vat fees but we did not pay for the Insurance fees because we don't know when you will be contacting them via email for your package, so you will have to pay the sum of $141 USD to the FedEx Delivery Department for the Insurance Fee to enable the insurance company of Nigeria  Insured your winnings Package for delivery to you at your residential address.

Please Kindly reconfirm your Full Name{}, Postal address{} and telephone number{} to FedEx Courier Company Nigeria through the below email:
*********************************************************************
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: +234 7063 281 899
*********************************************************************
Note: You are advised to contact FedEx as soon as possible.
*********************************************************************
As soon as you contact Fedex and their delivery team will give you the necessary payment procedure so that you can effect the payment for the Insurance Fee. As soon as they confirm your payment of $141 USD, they will not hesitate to work straight to the insurance company and insure your winning for delivery.

Yours faithfully,
Pepsi Cola Bottling Company

 

Pepsi Grant Compensation: How to Avoid

First of all, Pepsi does not offer $2600 to families due to the Coronavirus crisis, as they may even be affected by the COVID-19 situation themselves.

On the other hand, if you look at the regular scam that goes around throughout the year, one of the first red flags in this scam is the lack of advertisement. Pepsi runs contests as a way of marketing their brand, putting contest rules and prize possibilities on bottles, cans and cases of soda. The fact that this "contest" hasn't been advertised should lead the recipient of the email to become suspicious of its authenticity.

Secondly, Pepsi-Cola contest winners are never required to pay a fee to claim their prize, except in the case of winning an auto when taxes and license fees will apply according to your state of residence.

Awards and prize money via Internet are always to be looked at very carefully. If you are really looking to make money through Internet and social media, trust only legitimate sources such as Swagbucks, which is the world's largest free online rewards program. You get paid by doing things online which you might do anyway, such as searching the web, discover products, take surveys, watch videos, or play games. You can also get free iTunes and Amazon cards. The company has a A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. It takes a minute to register, but the rewards are great. You can register for free HERE. They offer a $5 sign-up bonus.

Pepsi Coronavirus Donation Scam: How To Report

Warn your family and friends about the Pepsi Grant 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 Protect Yourself More

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