Numerous WhatsApp and Instagram users are currently receiving fraudulent messages from strangers, but also from their own contacts, who, for example, advertise competitions in the name of Amazon. Warning: This is an attempt to lure you into a subscription trap. Do not follow links in such messages and do not provide credit card details!
Almost all of us are now familiar with Black Friday.
A wide variety of shops and especially online shops try to outdo or undercut each other with special prices and promotions. Since this also reduces skepticism towards seemingly unbelievable discount campaigns, criminals often use Black Friday for their own benefit. For example, they are currently spreading fraudulent “Black Friday competitions” – messages on WhatsApp or postings on Instagram that lead to alleged Black Friday competitions. The messages that lead to fake Amazon or Lufthansa websites, for example, read something like this:
For example, accounts such as the following advertise fraudulent competitions on Instagram:

What happens when you click on the links?
If you follow the links in the news or postings, you will land on a website that takes you through a short quiz to the company where you supposedly won a great prize. The following example shows a supposed Amazon competition quiz:

If you answer all of the questions, you will then be asked to pay a small amount of money to send you your prize.
Beware of the subscription trap!
Entering your credit card details leads to a subscription trap and thus to ongoing debits from your account. Canceling these subscriptions often proves to be difficult because contact details for the subscription providers are often not available. A promising solution is to search for contact details on your credit card statement.
Try to contact us and object to any further debits. You should also contact your credit card provider and discuss how to proceed. Reclaim any amounts that were debited due to the fraudulent competition without your knowledge. According to Section 67 ZaDiG 2018, amounts that were debited without your consent must be refunded by your payment service provider. Blocking your card can also be helpful.
Source: Watchlist Internet
Also read: WhatsApp warning about “Amazon Black Friday 2022”
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
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 )

