A photo should now prove that this Audi A3 competition really existed!

In the last two days we have once again reported on dubious competitions on Facebook. On the one hand there was a “ camper ” to win and on the other hand a “ dream house ”. And now suddenly a “fake Audi Facebook page” comes around the corner and publishes a photo with three people. This photo is supposed to be proof that this competition really existed, because it shows the handover of the Audi A3.

Apparently a Mertens family won this Audi. Which, however, is not true.
Apparently a Mertens family won this Audi. Which, however, is not true.

The status post was published on August 6th, 2018 and the operator(s) immediately took advantage of this and published another competition on August 7th, 2018 and again over 5,000 users fell into the trap!

Another status post was created and again you can supposedly win an Audi A3.
Another status post was created and again you can supposedly win an Audi A3.

Everything is just a fake!

We took a closer look at the picture! In the background you can see an advertisement from “ LIDL ” with the “ Iberian Week ”. After a little research, we found the photo on the Internet, which was published on Facebook on August 7, 2018.

The photo is already 4 years old!

We found the photo on the website “kreisblatt.de”. In an article dated August 21, 2014 it was announced that this couple won this Audi A3 4 years ago!

The photo was from 2014 and was simply copied and re-uploaded to the Facebook page. This is intended to rebuild user trust.
The photo was from 2014 and was simply copied and re-uploaded to the Facebook page. This is intended to rebuild user trust.

Facebook users and participants were duped again!

Unfortunately, at this point we can only point out how you can recognize these fake competitions and we hope that users will take this to heart.

Our checklist for dubious competitions on Facebook:

  • Users are forced to like and share, which is the case here
  • there is no (credible) imprint
  • no conditions of participation exist
  • no contact option
  • no correct company available
  • The site has only existed for a very short time, which is also the case here.
  • no winners will be announced
  • Prizes are provided by sponsors who “do not wish to be named”
  • The prizes are advertised with copied images from the Internet
  • For well-known companies, look for the blue verification check mark that is often present behind the page name in the cover photo

Why is/was there this competition?

Of course there is a financial interest behind these sites. There are various ways in which you can profit from successful fake competitions. Everything is possible, from harmless page sales to nasty subscription traps. So far, we have seen a lot of fake competitions that these types of competitions are always very similar. In the first stage, they seduce with their simple participation. You should share and like a high-quality potential win. Anyone can do it, it's not a hurdle. This attracts people.

Possibility of “side sales” / “like farming”

With the help of these attracting events the site is then “bred”. The site operator is working to increase fan numbers. At a certain point, this site will be for sale. Fans just end up wondering what content they'll see after the sale and why they ever liked that page.

“Affiliate” option

Once the number of participants reaches a certain point, the description of the competition will be changed. The conditions of participation are supplemented and a link is usually included that you should visit. There are some affiliate programs waiting there through which the “organizer” collects commissions. In the harmless case, these are partner programs that provide the participant with a lot of advertising; in the extreme case, there is a WAP billing subscription trap hidden behind the link for visitors via smartphone (from which the organizer also collects commissions, of course). Every now and then you can find these sophisticated Facebook pages for sale on eBay.

No matter what else happens: the advertised profit doesn't exist! Therefore, remember: there is no one giving away this house, this mobile home, this Audi, 100,000 iPhones or 50,000 PS4s. No, they don't exist, these chivalrous benefactors of the Internet. They are more like tricksters who entice their users to eat out of their hands like click animals.

So what – a click like that doesn’t cost anything!

Yes, that's right. A click on tempting competition sites usually doesn't cost you anything (as long as it's not a subscription trap behind it). If you define “it costs nothing” purely in terms of material values, then it will probably be that way.

But something can cost more than just money, because what it costs you here is priceless: it costs you your dignity - it costs you your credibility.

It costs you your name when you take part in sleazy competitions that you know deep down are rubbish, but your desire is so great that you end up clicking.

It is your inner compulsion to which you succumb and all people can see your defeat - they can all see that you have given in to the hollow temptation. And it would be easy for us to publicly pillory you here. Everyone would see your avatar and your name, because you have immortalized yourself there and shown that you have dedicated yourself to the site.

You tell everyone your financial situation, you tell us your life plans, you even tell us your favorite color. And for what? For a small, measly hope of winning something without making a big investment, for a bit of excitement “on the Internet”? For your trust in some unknown people behind the scenes who don't actually want to give you anything?

No, clicking here will not cost you any money. But if you ask yourself in the future why some people no longer take you so seriously, then you may have paid dearly.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )