Five Ways to Spot Fake Freebies on Facebook

Facebook giveaways can be tempting, luring you in with the chance of a freebie, but keep in mind that these messages aren’t always what they seem.

Which? found a number of examples of fake competitions circulating on social networks in recent months.

These competitions are run by scammers who create fake Facebook pages posing as well-known brands.

“Winners” of fake giveaways are often asked to provide personal information and payment details in order to receive the gift. Fraudsters can then use this data to scam you.

The good news is that you can usually avoid fake news on Facebook with just a few simple checks. Read on to find out how.

1. Is the deal too good to be true?

We’d all love to live in a world where retailers suddenly give away hundreds of expensive laptops, vacuum cleaners or designer teapots for free.

But unfortunately, if you see a contest or promotion on social media that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Before participating in any giveaways, consider whether the promotion is realistic. For example, retailers may give away one expensive item or a small number of them, but they are not going to give away a ton of product for nothing.

If this seems unlikely, trust your instincts. This is probably fake.

• Read more:Beware of These Fake Social Media Giveaway Scams

2. Be careful with new profiles

A national retail chain, bank or major airline is unlikely to have registered its Facebook page in the last few hours or days.

Facebook became popular in the UK over 15 years ago, and many well-known brands have been on the site for a decade or more.

If you see what appears to be a page from a major brand advertising a competitor, be sure to check the age of the page to determine if you’re dealing with a real business and not an impostor.

To find out the creation date of a page, go to the page and click the “About” tab. On some devices, you may need to tap Page Transparency to view the creation date.

• Find out more:how to recognize scams on social networks

3. Can you see the terms and conditions of the competition?

These competitions must have a set of terms and conditions set out in the prize draw announcement itself or available via a link.

If a competitor doesn’t have either, there’s a serious risk that it’s not genuine, and it’s simply not worth the risk of handing over your personal data.

• Read more: how to report fraud

4. Beware of unverified profiles

Facebook has a verification scheme for businesses so they can prove they are who they say they are.

When you see a contest post, you can check to see if the host’s brand is verified by checking the little blue checkmark next to the page title.

Many well-known brands have joined the scheme, but not all. So if there is no check mark, also look for the date the page was created.

5. Do not share payment details

No real giveaway will ever require you to pay to release the prize or cover postage.

The competition will also not require you to provide your card details for “verification purposes” or for any other reason.

Be sure not to share any financial information if you have been told that you are a “winner.” For legitimate competitions, your prize must be provided free of charge.

• Read more:how to get money back after fraud