Those hunting for Easter chocolate should be wary of a scam making the rounds on WhatsApp and Facebook.
Confectionary giant Cadbury has now issued a warning of a dangerous scam circulating online, which is posing as a competition to win a huge Easter hamper.
Their warning came off the back of several reports of people receiving messages on WhatsApp, appearing to be from their contacts, with a link to sign up for a “Cadbury FREE Easter Chocolate Basket”.
If you do receive this message you should not click the link, or enter any personal details into the site. Do not share the link with others – it’s a scam.
(Image: techadvisor)
Others have reported seeing an unverified Facebook page named called Cadbury AU. Earlier this week the page published a post claiming a Cadbury employee named Becky White was running an Easter promotion.
The promotion, similar to the WhatsApp scam, claims that social media users who interact with the post before 11pm on March 31 will receive a free Cadbury chocolate hamper.
In order to sign up to this so-called promotion, users are asked to sign up to an external tracking page and “follow the steps” to “verify” their win.
The message, which has been circulating in March, also has a picture of a purple Cadbury egg with the wording “Join the Cadbury Easter egg hunt,” and it might look fairly official.
(Image: irishmirror)
An official representative from Cadbury has confirmed that this competition is fake. A spokesperson said: “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.”
Cadbury is actually running an Easter event called Worldwide Hide, but it’s not a competition where you can win free chocolate.
So if you do receive any message or see anything on social media offering a free chocolate hamper, it is likely to be fake.
Scammers are usually after your name, address and potentially other details like passwords or bank details.
(Image: Getty Images)
How to spot a scam
It’s important to be aware of scams. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Citizens advice also lists other advice and red flags you should be aware of.
It might be a scam if:
- someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
- you suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address
- you’ve been asked to transfer money quickly
- you’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union
- you’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
- you haven’t had written confirmation of what’s been agreed
