Insight Bureau: Online frauds and scams are on the rise across the world with each passing day. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, fraudsters have all the more reasons to dupe consumers. Many of you might have received SMSes, emails or even WhatsApp messages that claim to offer free gifts or goodies this Valentine’s Day 2022. Well, we suggest you be careful of such messages and don’t fall for these scams.
Some fraudsters are using emails and other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, among others to trick people around the world. Sadly, hundreds and thousands of people are falling for these online scams. The most prone to these scams are all the shopaholics out there. Scammers are tricking people with fake shopping websites, offers, discounts, vouchers, and much more related to Valentine’s Day. A fraud website doing the same in the name of Cadbury valentine’s day giveaway.
WhatApp message has been doing the rounds on social media claiming that Cadbury’s is giving free chocolates on Valentine’s Day. The forward also carries a link.
https://tinyurl.su/u661874745/
According to NewsMeter, they received the link as a forward message on WhatsApp.
When the link was opened, they were directed to a website with the domain name tinyurl. It did not appear like the official website of the company.
The website asks users to complete questionnaires to receive a Valentine’s Day free giveaway. Later, the user is asked to click on the link and is given three chances to select a gift. It was noticed that users get a gift on a second chance, indicating that the link is fake.
When NewsMeter tried it, they were not redirected to the official website. Upon clicking on the menu option, it was not functioning either.
Once the users win their prizes, it asks them to share the link with any five or 20 WhatApp friends or groups to claim their prize. It also asks them to enter their personal and financial details.
On the main website of Cadbury, Valentine’s special gifts are shown but they are not free giveaways. NewsMeter also didn’t find their official social media handles with such an announcement.
Not only in the name of Cadbury, scammers are also trying to fraud by using popular brand names like Amazon. By fooling the users, they hack their phones and sell their identities and other information.
In that matter, Cyber security expert Prashant Sahu tweeted a video briefing the whole scenario of these fraud valentine’s day giveaways.