14 DAY TRIAL // Customers of Australia-based retailer Harvey Norman are advised to be on the lookout for fake Facebook pages. Scammers have set up several bogus pages in an effort to harvest as many “Likes” as possible.
According to Hoax Slayer, one of the fake Harvey Norman Facebook pages displays the following message: “Good news! We're are giving away 15 of these stunning 40" Samsung Smart TV's. Want to win one? Just Share & like this photo. Winners will be messaged and announced tomorrow via Facebook.”
The page has nothing to do with the retailer. Those who like and share the photo will not win anything.
Instead, they help the fraudsters in harvesting a large number of “likes,” making their page more valuable on the underground market.
Popular Facebook pages are highly valuable for cybercriminals and scammers because they can be used to spread spam, for scams, and to trick users into visiting malicious websites.
Harvey Norman is aware of the recent scams. On Sunday, the company posted the following warning on its official Facebook page:
“Please be aware there are a number of fake accounts attempting to get your details by liking and sharing. The official Harvey Norman Facebook page has no promotion of this kind running. You should be wary of these unofficial pages. We are working with Facebook to have these pages taken down.”
In addition, Harvey Norman has verified its Facebook page.
“Please note that our page is now Verified by Facebook! In light of all the recent scams showing up, please stay safe and send us a message anytime you're not sure about the legitimacy of Harvey Norman promotions in Facebook,” the company’s representatives noted.
Harvey Norman regularly runs promotions on its Facebook page, so it’s easy for unsuspecting users to fall victim to scams. That’s why internauts are advised to be extra cautious before taking part in any online competition.