Whatsapp users have been urged to be vigilant over a scam competition which purports to offer people the chance to win a cooler of beer in time for Father's Day. The sham contest is said to be spreading "like wildfire" across groups and messages on the app.
The fake offer will usually appear as a message on Whatsapp from a friend or contact in the form of a 'tinyurl' link. The image with the link will feature an 18 bottle Heineken 'coolerpack' and will be accompanied with a phrase like 'Heineken Beer Father's Day Contest 2022'.
Underneath the image and headline will be the phrase "5,000 coolers full of Heineken for you Dad" along with written link to the beer giant's official website "heineken.com." But according to scam alert website onlinethreatalerts.com, the online fraud - which is circulating on social media like wildfire" - tricks potential victims into visiting phishing, spam, and malicious websites that have the potential to steal personal information and account credentials.
The scam may also trick potential victims into signing up for unwanted services. The site goes on to warn that people will be taken to one of these fraudulent websites if they click the link in the fake post. The websites are being used in phishing and scamming campaigns which are setup by cybercriminals that actively lure unaware users into traps with the fake promise of vouchers.
The latest scam echoes a similar fake Heineken contest which circulated online in 2020. That competition promised people the chance to win "free kegs of Heineken beer".
It led Heineken to releasing a statement warning people not to fall victim to the phishing scam. The beer manufacturer also revealed at the time that it had been reported to Action Fraud.
To report a scam, visit actionfraud.police.uk.
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