Cadbury has issued a public alert over an Easter egg scam circulating on WhatsApp and other social media sites.
Messages and posts claiming that people can claim a “Cadbury FREE Easter Chocolate Basket” have been doing the rounds on WhatsApp, along with a link that leads to a website that asks users to input personal information.
With the day to give Easter eggs (opens in new tab) fast approaching, Cadbury took to social media to urge customers to avoid clicking on the fraudulent links.
Cadbury noted in a Facebook post that, “We’ve been made aware of circulating posts on social media, claiming to offer consumers a free Easter Chocolate basket.
“We can confirm that this has not been generated by us and would urge consumers not to interact or share personal information through the post. Customer security is our priority and we’re working with the relevant organisations to ensure this is resolved.”
The scam involves a message promising a free Cadbury Chocolate Basket to anyone who clicks on a link.
North Wales Police also issued an Action Fraud alert, which noted, “The WhatsApp free Cadbury Easter chocolate basket message doing the rounds at the moment is a scam! Please don’t click on it or share any of your information via the page.”
If you have been scammed and have already paid money, you should alert your bank as soon as possible. Tell them what happened and provide them with any information you have about where your money was transferred.
Your bank may be able to block the transaction or even retrieve the money from the account it was sent.
Despite the scam, Cadbury is celebrating Easter with a ‘Worldwide Hunt’ on their website.
The hunt allows participants to hide an egg on a digital map for friends and family to uncover using a personalised hint.
You may keep the whole thing virtual, or you can take it a step further and send your Easter egg hunter a real Cadbury Easter egg once they’ve found the hidden chocolate on the map.
Unfortunately, the Cadbury’s scam isn’t the only one that Brits have had to deal with recently. Fraudsters have been impersonating officials on chat apps in order to steal login details (opens in new tab).
People were also advised to be wary when a Royal Mail text message scam (opens in new tab) swept the country, tricking clients expecting shipments into providing their banking details.
