For several years scammers have been pretending to give away Range Rovers on Facebook. Alas, no Range Rovers have ever been given away via these Facebook posts.
There are no prizes and the only people who win are the scammers who create the fake giveaways. The scam posts are designed to trick Facebook users into divulging their personal details on dodgy websites.
One current version of the scam claims that the prize Range Rover is being given away for a second time because the previous winner did not live in the right location. The post claims that you can get a chance to win by sharing and commenting and then clicking a link to validate your entry.
Here’s a transcript of the scam post:
Bad news for [Name Removed] who won our last range rover but failed to tell us she lived outside of United Kingdom and Ireland. So with that being said our only choice would be to give this gorgeous brand new range to someone that shares/comments by 12pm Thursday. The fortunate winner selects their favorite color. After Visit [Linke Removed] to Validate Your Entry!
If you share and comment as instructed, you will help to promote the scam to other Facebook users. Because you shared it, at least some of your Facebook friends may fall for the scam as well.
If you click the link in the scam post, you will be taken to a website that asks you to click a “Validate Entry” button. Clicking the button redirects you to yet another website that claims that you can go into a draw to win further prizes such as Apple iPhones by providing your name and contact details.
But, if you proceed, your information will be shared with “site sponsors” who will subsequently inundate you with unwanted marketing phone calls, emails, text messages, and letters.
Which dodgy website you are redirected to depends on your location and other factors. But, no matter how many sites you submit your information to, you will never actually get to “validate” your entry for the promised Range Rover. To reiterate, the Facebook Page is NOT giving away any Range Rovers and your chances of winning are nill.
Facebook giveaway scams are many and varied. Be wary of any post that claims that you can win a valuable prize such as a car, holiday, tiny house, tech gear, or air tickets. Other versions falsely promise that you can win gift cards, coupons, or vouchers for various popular stores or shopping websites.
If one of these scams crosses your News Feed, don’t be tempted to participate. If you do, you’ll be helping scammers get new victims and giving your personal information to unscrupulous companies who have no right to have it. And, you won’t win anything anyway.
A screenshot of the scam post:
A screenshot of the scam validation website:
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
