14 DAY TRIAL // Scammers are abusing the reputation of Australian retailer Big W for a new Facebook scam. They’ve set up a fake Big W Facebook page and they’re promising users the chance to win various electronics, including Samsung Galaxy S4 phones, iPads and TVs.
“Due to our huge success, we have decided to give away 300 Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB 4G. To win, you must share this picture and like the page. The winners will be announced on February 4 2014 Via Inbox Message. Good Luck, BigW,” one of the scam posts reads.
The Facebook page and the posts have nothing to do with Big W. The scammers simply want to trick users into liking their page so that they can sell it on the underground market, or repurpose it. Facebook pages with a large number of likes can be highly valuable.
Big W is aware of this scheme. The retailer has posted an alert on its official Facebook page.
“ATTENTION Please be aware that there is a fake Facebook Page posing as BIG W, offering free electronics circulating at the moment. This is a ‘phishing’ scam and was not sent out from us,” the alert reads.
“While a Facebook post or email may seem to have come from us, and have our logo, it has no association with BIG W. The ACCC offers advice about phishing scams and how you can protect yourself at: http://goo.gl/gifasX. Please be mindful that we would never ask our customers for their personal or banking details in unsolicited communications.”
This is not the first time Big W’s name is abused by Facebook scammers. A similar scam was doing the rounds in the summer of 2013.
In case you’re a victim of this scam, unlike the fake Big W page and remove the posts you’ve published on your timeline.