Women's Day Giveaway Scams on WhatsApp
Author: James Greening
International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year to recognise the contributions of women in society. Apart from being an occasion for showing gratitude to the women in our lives, it also presents opportunities for scammers to lure unsuspecting people into their traps.
Among the different kinds of Women’s Day scams, Giveaway scams promising free gifts pop up year after year. Below are some of the most viral Women’s Day Giveaway Scams seen till now.
What are Giveaway Scams?
A ‘giveaway’ is the online version of a lucky draw wherein users have to enter their details for the chance to win a prize. Online giveaways have gained popularity as it is exciting to imagine winning a free gift with almost no effort, as most giveaways only require the person to perform simple actions such as commenting on a post or sharing their personal information such as email ID. For brands, it is a relatively cheap way to grow their social media presence as the actions of users such as liking and commenting give the page a massive visibility boost.
Taking note of the popularity of giveaways, scammers have jumped on the wagon too. Giveaway scams involve fake giveaway messages which direct the users to dubious websites impersonating real brands. Their agendas are sinister, for example, stealing personal information to target users with scams, infecting their devices with viruses or getting them to sign up for unwanted subscriptions.
Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams
We have come across several WhatsApp Giveaway Scams in previous years where scammers impersonated renowned brands such as Amazon and Adidas. These scams specifically target women by falsely claiming that the brand is holding a giveaway to celebrate Women’s Day.
Take the below example of a fake Amazon Women’s Day Giveaway that was circulating on WhatsApp last year.
It looks quite convincing at first glance but the link included in it is a Tinyurl short link that leads to a fake Amazon page. Curiously, the link could only be opened on smartphones - not PCs - and the page was created to steal users’ personal information.
Similarly, check out the examples of Adidas Women’s Day WhatsApp scams.
The messages show Adidas’ logo and claim that ‘Adidas is giving away 1 million pairs of shoes’. The reality is that Adidas has never held such a giveaway. The links in the messages are random ‘buzz’ domains that lead to malicious websites.
How to Stay Safe from WhatsApp Giveaway Scams
Protecting yourself from Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams is simple if you know how to identify malicious links. Keep the following points in mind when you receive WhatsApp forwards about giveaways:
- Never blindly click on links even if it has been sent by your family and friends
- Check the brand’s website and social media pages to know if they are really hosting a giveaway
- If the message contains a shortlink, such as tinyurl, bitly, cutt.ly and others, use a link unshortener to check where it leads. If the link does not lead to the original website, it is likely to be a scam
- Inform whomever forwarded you the fake message that it is a scam so that they can avoid falling for it in the future
The examples of Amazon and Adidas Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams show us the ways in which scammers operate. The names of brands may change but their methods often remain the same. With this knowledge, you can now avoid similar giveaway scams that you might have fallen for.
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
Scam Categories
Help & Info
Popular Stories
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the
