Image captionWhen Sammie Richardson saw an Instagram post about winning a week's holiday to Tenerife she tagged a friend to enter and thought little more about it.But after the competition organisers started asking for personal details, Ms Richardson discovered it was a scam.
"Criminals know people are spending far more time online, and they're capitalising on that," said Jeremy Stern, chief executive of PromoVeritas, a company that helps firms run legitimate prize promotions.After Ms Richardson was told she'd won the holiday, the organisers asked for her and her partner's passport details.
"They asked for my children's passport details but when I told them my children didn't have passports they said no problem at all.She checked out the resort where the holiday prize was and discovered it was for adults only, so there was no way her kids could go. "There are lots of great prizes to be won through major brands in your supermarket and online which should cause you no concern at all.
The prize draw is often just a way to pull you in and gather lots of your personal details to sell on. Also, steer clear of promotions that ask you to enter by liking a Facebook page, or a post or that encourages people to tag a page on Facebook, or retweet on Twitter.Prize draws that want to charge you money to enter or call themselves a"raffle" could be breaking the law.
Something for nothing...oldest trick in the book. Not a scam, just idiot bait.
Yep it's increasing. Many of the quiz type posts are a lead in to scamming information to then go on and scam
This is the reason I do not enter competitions advertised on social media 99% of the time it is a scam. You don’t get anything for nothing.
Free Massive Yachts
Congratulations!!!Very well done!!! Best Wishes🇮🇳💕💥
first class example of the old adage. if something looks too good to be true - it generally is. BUYER BEWARE.....
“won a holiday on social media” should be the first warning.. Seriously? How many times do people need to have basic common sense explained to them?
Scam apps as well, claiming to pay out cash for playing their games... like Word Relax: you need $20 to cash out. I am currently on $19.73, having completed 3,109 levels. I was awarded enough once, but didn’t add onto my total balance. Contacted support numerous times... nothing.
Mug
Loads of these 'competitions' on Facebook. As soon as you 'win' and they ask for any money up front, tell them to piss off.
I won 2 free tickets from qatarairways as Frontline under so called WeShare, but it turn out to be a scam 😒
One will learn that in life, in general, you never 'win' anything and even less on social media.
No sympathy here. There are so many warning about scammers, yet stupid people still want something for nothing.
BBCScotlandNews Gammon
If you follow the belief that if something is too good to be true then it probably is then you won't go far wrong.
Did she reply to the Nigerian government about that 10000000000 £ they kept for u from a king u never heard off
Ramp up fear to sell test kits and vaccination.
A scam like all of your lies bbc
Sounds like the Covid scam.
I bet she replied to that about a free £500 argos voucher
Silly bint
And these people pray on the stupid!
You don't get something for nothing!
Another thing is raffles on social media. The amount of people who I've seen buying multiple raffles is shocking. It's fixed.
If it seems too good to be true then it usually is. A good sentence to stick by
I fail to see how no one holds him accountable for his actions. Why is it so difficult?
May be you think twice next time you see such big fat lie on SM !!
who tf still gets caught out by these anymore? If you have been scammed online you probably deserve it
Nothing in life free
BBCScotlandNews She’ll be one of those loonies on FB who like & share a post to win a Ferrari.
It's absolute widespread, especially now, gaming money 💰 scams, foney holiday scams, I could go on, just keep on your guard folks!!!
I report so many fake pages on FB who claims to have a competition. Couple of ways to avoid that. To look for blue tick . Click on the actual page and most of the time only posted two or three things
Can't believe people still fall for these 'This person from your area quit her job and now earns £95k a year working 20 hours a week from home! Click HERE ➡️'
BBCScotlandNews O YES... YOU HAVE WON A BRAND NEW CAR 🎉🎉 O wait..... Ur under 18..... 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I don’t know how people fall for it. Check the page - calling themselves Tui? 1 post? Couple of pictures? Not real is it 🤷🏻♀️ check the actual Tui page - look for the blue tick. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is!
BBCScotlandNews The same with the BBC. I paid them, they told me lies. DefundTheBBC
Hahaha, gutted
This is some seriously hard hitting news, thank you so much for bringing this to national attention
Fancy being silly enough to give your bank details, and then publishing it to the world
😂😂😂😂😂 fucking sausage
Why is anyone going to give you a holiday for jack .. hello!!🙄
Why would you need to give your bank details if you'd won a holiday 🤪 Don't people ever check these so called comps.... Oh look tui holiday UK joined Facebook last week and the only thing they've done is run a promotion for a free holiday asking you to 'click here'
ThelastofEDM
You mean the random posts on Facebook and Instagram that EVERYONE can see but say “you won a holiday” are fake? No, that can’t be true
Honestly if people fall for this shit... it’s so obvious 98% of the time yet still see people doing it 🙄
How do people do that in this day and age, apart from family ringing I see every phone call as a scam and swiftly tell them exactly where to go.
I can’t believe this. IN A PANDEMIC ...SaturdayThoughts
Bit like Brexit.
RT to win a luxury home in the Bahamas!
Given the number of these competitions, it's funny how you never know of anyone who's won a holiday, motorhome or car
Millions won a brexit on social media and that was a fraudulent con too.
Silly Sammy
Hope stupidity isn’t catching, only herself to blame
Oh come on! Your be telling me next that no one really wins the giant motorhomes just for liking and sharing.
Let’s be honest she only has herself to blame. Social media is just one big con.. never ever enter Competitions etc on SM. Or believe any of the ads. All scams..
Lots of win a motor home, a holiday...ummm too good to be true, always check the offer on the Internet with ‘scam’ added to the search. Never fails.
I have won the (Insert African Country) lottery more times than you care to think Just seems to cost me £XXX everytime to claim it Also seems strange that I have never been to half these countries never mind entered their lottery
If it’s on social media it’s most probably bullshit. Stop being so gullible
Stupid is as stupid does.
Really... So the area sheikh who wants to use my bank account to hold millions of dollars might be a scam?
Sadly virtually every promotion that’s run through Social Network turns out to be a scam simple advice don’t enter any thing on social network that involves them wanting any detail from you
Been going on for years on Facebook. I report them frequently but they never take action.
£900 is not free 🤣
Loads of holidays were cancelled and this ballbag starts handing over bank details for a holiday won on Facebook ... 😂
It was a holiday.... abroad.
Hi I’m an African prince and would like to deposit 150000 into your bank account for two week . Send me you bank deotals and I’ll reward you half in 4 weeks time 🤣🤣🤣
Here's another big scam to get some cash out of us.
How can people fall for it smh
Well you didn't win it then 😝
If it's too good to be true then it probably isn't. Always been the case.
If it’s to good to be true ........ errrrrr you know the rest
Hahahaha really? No way Jose
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