Update – May 2019
A new version of this scam is currently beings shared on Facebook. You can read more about the new version here:
‘Disney World 5 Free Tickets Per Family’ Facebook Giveaway Scam
Original Report
Supposedly, a ‘Disney World’ Facebook Page that is being heavily promoted across the network is giving users a chance to win 5 tickets for a 7 day Disney World vacation with 5-star accommodation, park passes, and $2000 cash.
It also advises people to like the Page to access announcements about winners.
However, the Facebook Page is fraudulent and has no connection to Disney. And, no prizes are being given away. The scammers have managed to fool Facebook’s Page naming system by putting a period after the Page name. Via this simple ruse, the scammers can create a fake Page that includes the name of the targeted company. Many people will not even notice the period at the end of the name.
In fact, the Page is a typical like-farming scam. The intent of those responsible is to accumulate as many Page likes as possible in the shortest possible time. By offering attractive – albeit non-existent – prizes, the scammers are able to trick many Facebook users into participating.
Each time a user likes, shares, and comments, the Page’s scam messages are distributed further across Facebook. Via this ruse, such a Page can gather thousands of likes within just a few hours or days.
Facebook Pages with high numbers of likes are a lucrative commodity to online criminals. After the initial like-farming scams have been run, the Page can be reused to launch survey scams or other types of fraudulent activity, this time to a much larger potential audience.
Alternatively, the Page can be sold to other scammers via an active black market.
This example is just one in a long series of very similar Disney like-farming and survey scams.
Be wary of any Facebook Page or post that claims that you can win expensive prizes just for liking and sharing.
Example
Celebrating Disney World’s 50th year anniversary we’re giving 150 people the chance to win 5 tickets each for a 7 day vacation in a 5 star resort with fast passes to all parks & $2,000 cash.
To enter just Share & Like. (Comment to double chances).
Winners will be drawn on 14th April. Like our page for announcements.
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
