Network Wizkid

Over the years, organisations have been enticing their Facebook followers with opportunities to participate in giveaways, effectively leveraging social media for promotional purposes. Typically, users are required to engage with the content by liking, commenting, and sharing the respective Facebook post to enter these giveaways. While some pages genuinely conduct such giveaways, it is crucial for Facebook users to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of the pages they follow before believing they have won any prize. Regrettably, there are instances where malicious individuals create counterfeit Facebook pages, aiming to deceive unsuspecting users. In light of this, it is imperative for individuals to remain vigilant and exercise discernment to safeguard themselves from falling victim to scams that may result in divulging personal information or financial loss.

This article aims to offer valuable insights into the realm of cyber security awareness pertaining to Facebook Giveaways. It endeavour’s to equip readers with vital knowledge that enables them to effectively counter and thwart malicious schemes orchestrated by scammers who exploit Facebook giveaways to deceive unsuspecting users. This article covers a real example to highlight how easy it is for Facebook users to be scammed.

How Scammers Leverage Can Leverage Legitimate Facebook Giveaways

The following example is that of a legitimate Facebook page created by an organisation.

The organisation posted a giveaway competition and all a user has to do to enter is like, share and comment on the post. In this example, although it is a legitimate post, scammers have been quick to rise to the opportunity in an attempt to take advantage of Facebook users entering the competition and heres how they’ve done it.

Exhibit 1: The Organisations Facebook Page

Exhibit 2: The Organisations Facebook Giveaway

A couple of things to highlight about the Facebook post:

• The organisation didn’t specify how users would be notified. I suspect that participants would assume a response from the organisation on the comment that they’ve made
• I am pointing out the following because it will be relevant in the upcoming analysis: Up for grabs is x1 prize of ‘4 Premium Tickets’
• Entries for the competition close on the 26/07/23 and so one would assume that the winner would be announced once the competition closes

Exhibit 3: More Than One Winner?

Scrolling through the responses and looking at the comments of those that have entered the competition, we see the first warning sign that something might not be right.

As highlighted earlier, the competition indicates that there will be one winner, however while looking through the posts, we could see that there are multiple responses to entrants to tell them that they’ve won. This should be the first sign that something is amiss!

The second indicator is that assuming a winner is selected after the competition closes, no one should be told that they’ve won already.

The third indicator, often employed by scammers, manifests in their attempts to create a sense of urgency. For instance, they may utilise lines such as: “This opportunity is only valid for 45 MINUTES. If not, we will provide a gift for the one who is luckier for this occasion“. Scammers employ such tactics to prompt quick actions from unsuspecting individuals, ultimately aiming to obtain their financial information or money. Additionally, it is worth noting that both highlighted responses exhibit poor English grammar, suggesting that the text may have been generated by a computer or by an individual lacking proficiency in English language skills. While this aspect may not be readily apparent to everyone, one can discern this by comparing the grammar with previous posts and evaluating its appropriateness within the context of the organisations country of origin.

Exhibit 4: Fake Facebook Pages

The response pertains to the fact that the information originates from Facebook pages that differ from the legitimate page hosting the competition. These scammers have established counterfeit Facebook pages that closely resemble the authentic page. Moreover, they attempt to mislead users by employing names for their pages that bear a striking resemblance to the legitimate page.

• Legitimate Facebook Page Name: Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
• Fake Facebook Page Names seen responding:
  • Embssy & Bolton Sbbey Steam Railway
  • ꓰmbsay & ꓐolton ꓮbbey ꓢteam ꓣailway

The links to each of the fake pages will not be shared in this article but as you can see from the names of the pages, they are different to the actual page. The ‘ꓰmbsay & ꓐolton ꓮbbey ꓢteam ꓣailway‘ page could easily catch people out if they weren’t focused on the font; this is a tactic that scammers use to trick users into thinking that they are interacting with the legitimate page.

Both fake pages were created within an hour of the competition being launched and have no followers or posts! Make sure you always double-check where the responses are coming from and if your not sure, contact organisation to confirm the page and their response before taking any action.

Exhibit 5: Wait! I have to Click a Link?

Even if the response received was legitimate (which is isn’t in this case), you should always check the link to the website. Sometimes easier said than done but if you have to, contact the company directly to confirm.

While analysing the links provided by the scammers, I was able to identify a few things worth noting:

• Their motive – Aquire card details and steal money
• The likely origin of the scammers – Indonesia

Yep by now you’ve guessed is; the scammers are trying. to get your money!

While I won’t bore you with the technical details around the websites used, I will explain their process to ensure you don’t fall victim to such scams.

1. A user clicks the link in the response and they’re taken to one of the scammers websites. Both websites identified in this article lead to the same website
2. Once on the website, the user is directed to ‘Register’ where they will be required to enter their email address and create a password
3. Once done, the user is directed to another questionable website where they are required to enter their card details. It is at this point that the scammers succeed if the user completes this process
4. The last part doesn’t really matter to you and is more for the scammer. They ask you to comment ‘DONE’ on their Facebook page response with a screenshot. It is believed that this is so they can identify who has fallen victim to the scam

Summary

While Facebook giveaways seem like a good idea, its important that users remain vigilant. The highlighted indicators in this article will hopefully help you stay wise to the tactics used by scammers. Giveaways on Facebook pages should never require your card details, so if you find yourself in a giveaway which requires these, walk away.

The information pertaining to this specific scam, including the associated websites and data, will be duly reported to the appropriate authorities in order to impede the scammers’ operations and prevent their success. Regrettably, given the inherent unpredictability of our world, scammers will persist in their exploits.

Stay safe and make sure you share this with your Facebook friends.