Fake competitions on Facebook
Dangers and background of fake competitions on Facebook! How you can protect yourself from fake competitions!
Fake competitions on Facebook are an ongoing issue that unsettles many users. Supposed competitions appear again and again that offer great prizes such as smartphones, cars, houses, vouchers, trips, etc. But fraudsters are often behind it and are after personal data or even money.
What is behind fake competitions?
Fake competitions on Facebook are a form of phishing in which fraudsters try to obtain personal information or money. The fraudsters create fake Facebook pages or use existing pages and publish supposed competitions on them. The user is often asked to provide personal information such as name, address and telephone number or even to transfer money in order to receive the supposed prize.
Another trick is that the user is asked to like and share the page in order to take part in the competition. This means that the competition is spread quickly and many users take part. However, they have no chance of winning the promised prize because it does not exist.
How do I recognize such fake competitions on Facebook?
You can recognize ominous competitions when you read, for example: “Press like and you’ll get into our lottery pot!” and “Whoever shares the post has a double chance!” and then “The page –name-of-the-page- must be liked!
Another characteristic is when the following content is NOT AVAILABLE:
Owner of the site / contact person Imprint Contact option Conditions of participation Exemption from Facebook
Reputable companies deal with the topic of competitions on Facebook and present them correctly. Among other things, reputable organizers ensure that an imprint, a contact and conditions of participation are available, which are also necessary from a legal perspective.
Checklist
Users are forced to “Like” and “Share” There is no (credible) imprint No conditions of participation No contact option No correct company exists Page has only existed for a very short time No winners are announced Prizes are provided by sponsors who “are not named want” The winnings are advertised with copied images from the Internet. For well-known companies, look out for the blue verification tick behind the page name in the cover photo
How can you protect yourself?
There are a few tips to protect yourself from fake competitions on Facebook:
- Be careful with tempting offers: If a competition sounds too good to be true, it may be false.
- Verify Authenticity: Verify the authenticity of the Facebook page hosting the competition. Take a close look at the page and pay attention to the legal notice, contact information and logo.
- Watch out for errors : Fraudulent sites are often full of errors and poorly translated.
- Do not share personal information: Do not give out personal information such as address, phone number or email address.
- Do not distribute fake competitions: Do not share fake competitions to warn other users.
Fake competitions on Facebook can pose a real risk for users. Therefore, it is important to be careful and protect yourself from scammers.