14 DAY TRIAL // Scammers are abusing the fact that Yahoo has recently acquired Tumblr in an effort to give more credibility to one of their giveaway scams.
According to experts from ThreatTrack Security, the scammers have set up a bogus Tumblr staff blog.
“Tumblr is giving out tons of Beats headphones and Olive Garden giftcards [link],” reads a post on the fake blog.
The link points to a website called tumblernews.com, created only a couple of days ago. This website contains a frame that wraps content from what appears to be a hijacked cosmetics or skin care site.
On Tumblernews.com, users are presented with the following message:
“Thanks to Yahoo!’s recent acquisition, we are opening the giveaway floodgates.
What does this mean for you? It means we’re giving back to the community. Click here to receive your Free $250 Olive Garden Giftcard
Many humble startups which eventually ascend into social media powerhouses often assume that they themselves are solely responsible for the success of their company, and I firmly disagree.
I happen to know that without you guys, I’d probably still be living in my parents basement instead of a sweet penthouse with an indoor fountain and a tv rivalizing the size of a sports stadium’s jumbotron.
I digress, click here to claim your free stuff.”
The links take users to a parked domain via an affiliate URL. This might mean that the scammers are still working on the scheme.
However, the scam site has already been visited over 1,500 times since it was launched, so it’s likely that the campaign will be a success if the crooks apply the finishing touches to it.
In the meantime, beware of offers that appear too good to be true, even if they seem to come from a reputable company.