If you receive a message on WhatsApp promising you a free fridge full of Guinness for Father’s Day, don’t fall for it. It’s a scam that aims to steal your personal details and hijack your account.
The message claims that Guinness is giving away fridges as part of a Father’s Day promotion, and invites you to click on a link to take part in a quiz and find the ‘golden ticket’.
However, the link leads to a fake website that has nothing to do with Guinness or its parent company Diageo, which has confirmed that the promotion is not genuine.
The website asks you to share the link with 20 friends or five WhatsApp groups before you can claim your prize, which is a way of spreading the scam to more potential victims.
It also asks you for your address and other personal information, which could be used for identity theft or fraud.
To make matters worse, the scammer who sent you the message may also try to take over your WhatsApp account by pretending to be your friend or someone you know.
They will send you another message asking you to forward them a six-digit code that you received from WhatsApp by text. This code is actually a verification code that allows them to access your account and lock you out.
To protect yourself from this scam, you should:
- Delete the message and do not click on the link or share it with anyone
- Report the message as spam to WhatsApp
- Do not give out your personal details or verification code to anyone
- Enable two-step verification on your WhatsApp account to add an extra layer of security
- Contact Guinness or Diageo if you have any doubts about their promotions
Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stay safe and enjoy your Father’s Day.
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