How to spot online conmen so you don’t get caught out by fake deals on #WinItWednesday
The hashtag has been taking social media by storm with sites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all using it to promote competitions and prize draws, but do you know how to avoid being taken in by web fraudsters?
TAKING part in #WinItWednesday to try to win money or prizes? Then beware you do not gift your ID to fraudsters.
The hashtag has been taking social media by storm with sites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all using it to promote competitions and prize draws.
But there are also a worrying number of fake comps using the hashtag which are set up by scammers in a bid to steal your personal details and even your bank account number.
Firms including easyJet, Tesco and Argos have all recently had their details replicated to look like genuine sites.
So before you click, make sure you play it safe. We have teamed up with competition firm PromoVeritas to show you how.
Spokeswoman Abi Roman explains: “Entering into prize draws and competitions online can be a great way to earn some extra money or win super prizes.
“But be careful. The scam posts will offer prizes such as free tickets, shopping vouchers, TVs and cash in return for simply liking and sharing, or clicking a link.
“They want to either capture your personal details for further fraudulent purposes or get you to click on a harmful link.”
Here’s how to avoid the scams:
- Look for Terms & Conditions: All legitimate promotions must have a link to Terms & Conditions, so scroll on if there is not one.
- Check for the tick: Genuine brands will have Facebook verify their pages with a blue tick by their name. Only a fake post would not have this.
- Check the spelling of the brand name: Most fake posts include some spelling mistakes and bad grammar — such as “Vlrgin” or “Pirmark”. Watch out for these and avoid them.
- Look at other pages first: Link to the brand’s Facebook page by going to its own website rather than relying just on a search on Facebook or Twitter. That way you can be sure that the Facebook post is real. In addition, a genuine promotion would be advertised on the brand website too.
- Check the security: Fake promotions will often ask you to fill in a survey or leave your details on an unsecure site. Make sure the website has the word “secure”, with a padlock icon, at the top of the page.
- Too many questions: If the site is asking you a lot more than just basic information about yourself, such as when your car insurance is due, or your mother’s maiden name, be extremely careful. It is likely to be a con to gather useful information so that they can impersonate you later on.
- Ask them: If you really cannot tell if it is real or not, check first by contacting the brand’s customer service team, usually via an email accessible from the brand website. If it is not a genuine post, they will be grateful for the heads-up and you will be helping others.
- Report it: If you spot a fake promotion post, it is always best to report it to the social media site it is on, as well as the brand, so that it can be removed to prevent other users from getting tricked.
Win £1ook
ONE lucky reader will win £100,000 CASH with Sun Savers.
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It’s now too late to start collecting.
But if you have been collecting, you need ten Sun Savers codes by October 10.
After entering your ten codes – today’s is on the right – you will be prompted to enter.
The competition closes on October 23, when a winner will be chosen at random.
l Over-18 UK residents only. One entry per person. Your information will be used only for purposes of this competition. The Editor’s decision is final. Full terms and conditions at .
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