14 DAY TRIAL // With the holidays approaching fast, Facebook scammers seem to be reviving old campaigns in hopes that they can trick people into helping them make money. One of the scams currently making the rounds promises $100 (€75) McDonald’s gift cards.
The Facebook posts read something like this: “Claim your Free $100 McDonalds Voucher this Christmas. Offer still open!”
The links from the posts lead to a website called mcdonalds.dailygiveaways.me. Here, visitors are told that there are only a few vouchers left. The page is designed so that the number of remaining vouchers drops every few seconds, most likely in an effort to trick users into acting without giving it too much thought.
However, it’s worth noting that if you stay on the page long enough, the counter starts displaying negative values, so it’s clear that the fraudsters haven’t put too much effort into the scheme.
Facebook members are instructed to share the bogus offers and add a comment in which they say something like “Thanks, I love McDonald’s.”
Once that’s done, victims are told that they’ve won a prize. However, in order to claim it, they must complete a quiz.
After the quiz is completed, users are told to enter their phone numbers. Those who do are automatically signed up for a premium rate mobile service. The scammers can end up making a lot of money through this scheme.
If you come across such promotions of Facebook, act with caution. If it’s not announced on McDonald’s official Facebook page, you’re likely dealing with a scam.
Check out the screenshots to see what this McDonald’s gift card scam looks like:
The names of several major companies have been used these days in Facebook scams, including ASDA and Tesco.
