A new Cadbury giveaway scam is circulating on WhatsApp in the run up to Christmas.
The scam works similarly to a series of other WhatsApp scams we’ve recently reported on. Earlier this year, fraudsters sought to exploit shoppers ahead of Father’s Day by peddling fake giveaways for Heineken, Screwfix and B&Q products.
Below, we explain how the latest scam works and offer advice on how to report dodgy messages.
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Cadbury WhatsApp giveaway scam
First, you'll receive a WhatsApp message including a picture of a Cadbury chocolate selection. It contains a link to a suspicions website with a Russian URL that bears no resemblance to Cadbury's website (www.cadbury.co.uk). This is the first giveaway that the message is fraudulent.
The message includes your name and address (blocked out in the above screenshot), which adds a air of credibility. Scammers may have obtained these details from you if you entered them on an unsecure website or a site that was subject to a data breach.
The link to the ‘giveaway’ has also been shared on Facebook by users who are unaware that it's a scam, as shown above.
If you click on the link in the message, you’ll be taken to a survey website where you’ll be asked questions as part of a ‘quiz’ ahead of ‘finding the golden ticket’.
The website uses convincing-looking branding and says: ‘Hello, welcome to Cadbury’s Special Christmas Giveaway! Answer this short quiz, find the golden ticket and win an exclusive Christmas Chocolate Magic Basket. 235 gifts left.’
After answering four questions, you will be given three attempts to select a prize box with a ticket inside, indicating you’ve won. You win on the third attempt.
At this point, the scammer tells you you must share a WhatsApp link with five groups or 20 friends (to spread the scam further) before you can finally claim your ‘gift’. You'll then need to enter your delivery address.
We’ve seen survey scams like this before that lure you in with the promise of a free product before asking you to answer questions and give away your personal information.
Reporting WhatsApp scams
If you receive this WhatsApp message, even if it’s from a friend or family member, you can rest assured that it's a scam. Make sure you let the sender know and delete the message. Do not click on the link.
If you receive this message from an unkown number, you can report the sender on WhatsApp by opening up the chat, tapping on the sender's contact details and selecting 'Block and Report'. Suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre at www.ncsc.gov.uk.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/scammers-are-peddling-a-fake-cadbury-christmas-giveaway-on-whatsapp-a6PTO7I1S7tl