Dozens of fraudulent Facebook Pages that falsely claim to be associated with popular TV show host Ellen DeGeneres are currently being published and promoted on the network.
Posts on the bogus Facebook Pages claim that Ellen is giving away large cash prizes, cars, and even houses to her fans.
As soon as one of the fake Ellen Pages are removed, others pop up to replace it.
Some versions instruct participants to simply like, share and comment to get a chance to win. Others also demand that users click a link to complete their prize entry.
The fake Pages use graphics and photographs stolen from Ellen’s genuine Facebook Page and other sources. Many of the fake Pages have names that are misspelled versions of the name “Ellen DeGeneres”.
Despite the misspelled names and the obvious absurdity of the giveaway claims, many people still participate, apparently in the vain hope of actually winning something.
But, alas, participants have zero chance of winning anything at all.. There are no prizes and these Facebook Pages have no connection to Ellen whatsoever.
By insisting that users like, share, and comment as a prerequisite for entering the prize draws, the scammers are able to fool people into promoting the fake Ellen giveaways across Facebook. This ensures that the scammers gain many new Page likes and potential victims.
And, if you click the links in these scam posts, you will be taken to a decidedly dodgy website that claims that you can watch thousands of movies for free. But, the supposedly free video streaming site insists that you provide your credit card details, ostensibly as a means of validating your account. Any company that allows scam Facebook Pages to be used to promote its services should not be trusted with your credit card details or any other personal information.
These celebrity giveaway scams have become increasingly common in recent months and have targeted fans of several high-profile celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Will Smith, and others.
Be wary of any Page or post that claims to belong to a high-profile entertainer and offers you the chance to win large amounts of cash or expensive prizes just for liking and sharing or clicking links. While such celebrities may indeed be wealthy – and perhaps even generous – they are very unlikely to randomly hand cash or expensive prizes to strangers via a social media Page. Any such claims should be treated as highly suspect.
A screenshot of one of the scam posts:
Check for the “Verified” Icon:
Note that the official Facebook Pages of most popular entertainers, including that of Ellen DeGeneres, will feature Facebook’s blue ‘verified’ tick beside the Page name to prove their authenticity:
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Ellen DeGeneres Prize