Alert: Warning of rising facebook phishing contests
Police draw attention to ongoing phishing campaigns that can be encountered on Facebook. In these cases, scammers use the theme of a contest and the supposed possibility of receiving a cash prize. An unusual element is the instruction with a link posted in the comment of the post.
The scam starts with an enticing Facebook post suggesting a contest win and the ability to receive a cash prize. The instructions are in the comment on the post. The user theoretically has a few steps to complete, including visiting the site provided in the link, appropriately commenting on the publication (which most likely also affects its reach), and completing these steps within 12 hours. Of course, the whole story is fabricated.
The critical point is visiting the site linked in the comment. In this fake scenario, the attackers use this method to phish data from potential victims. Depending on the case, this can include at least personal data, but most often also payment card numbers, even under the pretext of confirming identity or "receiving a transfer" related to the mentioned contest. Naturally, in practice, these steps are just elements of the scam.
If the scammer gains possession of the victim's data in this way, they may, at worst, make purchases at the victim's expense or, in worse cases, try to take out a loan in their name or enroll them in an unwanted subscription service. Smaller amounts could then be deducted from the account, which is generally harder to notice, especially if one does not monitor one's bank account daily.
As always, we remind you that attractive-sounding offers found online should generally raise our suspicions. It's hard to believe that we deserve a five-figure amount as a prize in a contest conducted on social media that we've heard nothing about until now. Unfortunately, such scams can effectively succeed. We appeal for caution, approaching all offers with skepticism and full awareness of where we provide our data, especially when it includes payment card numbers.
