Rip Off Britain: Woman explains how she was scammed
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It is easier than ever to fall victim to scams, with many infiltrating everyday apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook. The latest scam is promising people free Cadbury’s chocolate.
There have been several reports of people receiving messages from their contacts on Whatsapp with a link attached to sign up for a “Cadbury FREE Easter Chocolate Basket”.
There are some simple questions to answer before the recipient is prompted to enter personal details including their name and address.
People that fall victim to the scam assume that they are entering these details in order to receive their prize, however this is not the case.
The scam uses an .ru domain, meaning that the website is Russian.
On Facebook, an unverified account called Cadbury AU also advertised the scheme.
The scammer wrote: “Hi everyone, my name is Becky White and I’m one of the managers at Cadbury Australia!
“To celebrate Easter this year, EVERYONE who shares and comments by 11pm March 31st will get one of these Cadbury Hampers delivered to their door on April 10th.
“Limit 1 per person. Enjoy your free chocolate.”
They added: “Like our page for updates!”
All entrants were encouraged to sign up to an external tracking page and follow steps to verify their win.
Alex Blair, an official spokesperson for Cadbury, told Yahoo News: “We’ve been made aware of a post circulating on social media, claiming to offer Aussies a hamper of free Cadbury products.
“We can confirm this has not been generated by us and would urge Cadbury fans not to interact or share personal information through the post.
“The safety of our consumers is our priority and we’re working to ensure this is resolved.”
This is not the first time scammers have used Cadbury to ensnare vulnerable victims.
Just last year, an email and Facebook con promised a free Cadbury Pack.
Good samaritans have taken to Facebook to warn others of the trick.
Roxanne Freeman warned: “I’ve had three messages in last five minutes on Whatsapp promising a free choc hamper.
“It’s a scam, please don’t fall for it. If something normally sounds too good to be true it usually is!”
Sharon Goodall said: “Just a heads up, if anyone gets a WhatsApp message offering free Cadbury Hampers, it’s a phishing scam that could potentially cost you money and loss of personal information.
“Don’t take the bait!!!”
Karen Perring answered: “Funnily enough I had 2 offers but as don’t eat chocolate I deleted the offer.”
Matthew Lawn said: “Can people please stop sending that fake Cadbury’s link. Are people really that stupid?
“It’s a SCAM! And are people desperate for an Easter egg?”
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