Want to win a bright pink Jeep Wrangler? Or a Samsung Smart TV? Or an Alterra 500 Arctic Cat, perhaps? According to a Facebook Page that calls itself “Freebie Trends”, you can get a chance to win these and many other expensive prizes just by liking, sharing, commenting, and clicking a link to “validate your entry”.
But, alas, the Facebook Page is yet another scam designed to trick you into submitting your personal information on decidedly dodgy websites.
By tricking people into liking, sharing, and commenting on their fake giveaway posts, the scammers ensure that their fraudulent material is seen by an ever increasing number of potential victims.
When users click the “validate” link, they are taken to a web page that features a list of further prizes. Users are told that they are the “Winners of the Day” and are prompted to click a link to claim the supposed prize. However, the links open various third-party websites that offer the chance to win yet more prizes in exchange for supplying your name and contact details.
The sites will share your information with site sponsors and third-party marketing companies. So, soon after participating, you will begin receiving annoying and unwanted phone calls, text messages, emails, and letters peddling all manner of products and services.
But, no matter how many links you click or offers you participate in, you will never get to validate your Freebie Trends prize entry. There are no prizes and nobody wins except the scammers.
The scammers earn money whenever people disclose their personal details on one of the sites.
Scam Facebook Pages like this are extremely common. New ones appear every day.
This video from the Hoax-Slayer YouTube channel discusses a survey scam that promises participants the chance to win a Range Rover.
A screenshot of the Freebie Trends scam Facebook Page
