Facebook scams are still huge.
I'm seeing so many of these lately where somebody sees some giveaway and, without thinking about how unbelievably too-good the offer is, clicks Like or Share.
Here's some tips on how to recognize these scammers:
- MOST giveaways on Facebook are scams. Unless it's a very local company like a restaurant or spa, there's a very good chance it's fake.
- No terms and conditions. A huge red flag. A company can't legally do giveaways of any significance without their lawyers.
- No closing date on the giveaway. 'Nuff said.
- Their About page: The About page is blank or lacking. If there is info there, it should consistently point to the same website so the email's domain "@walmart.com" should correspond to the main URL ("www.walmart.com"). If it's blank, walk away. You can also go to the real company's website (e.g. Walmart.com) and, from there, click on their Facebook link to get to their real FB page. Odds are, it will not be the same as the one asking for you to Like/Share.
- A real website: The URL linked in the About page should point to a real website and that website should actually be about that company and not look like it was thrown together by someone's nephew.
- The prizes are too good to be true. Seriously. Do the math. I just saw one claiming to be giving away twenty luxury RVs. At $200K/ea, that's a $4MILLION giveaway....for a little FB publicity. No way.
- The page is nothing but contests or giveaways. First, that's a terrible business model. Why aren't they posting about their own company or trying to provide some service to the customer/public?
- The prizes have no obvious connection with the page. If a page categorizes itself as a "news/media" page (common) and it's giving away cosmetics or Walmart gift cards.... that's fishy.
- Winners are never announced. Look back at their previous giveaways ... even if they don't link to a winner's name for privacy reasons, you should expect a winner to have been announced.
- Facebook Verification: The main name on the FB page should be verified with a checkmark. Period.
This isn't the be-all-end-all proof but, if one isn't there, they're not even trying to scam you properly. Also look at their FB page's address. The company should have set up a vanity address and not some garbage username like"RVgiveaways2393". (Side note: Apple does not have a Facebook page, beyond a basic listing). - Oh, and those "Genius tests, 98% won't get it" are also a form of "like farming". Just don't.
More info:
http://www.hoax-slayer.net/watch-out-for-luxury-rv-giveaway-scams-on-facebook/
https://superlucky.me/2015/09/how-to-identify-a-scam-facebook-promotion/
