WhatsApp users in Ireland are being warned that a new scam is doing the rounds offering a "full fridge of Guinness" for Father's Day.
The scam text which is sent on WhatsApp has the caption 'Uncover the hidden prize in Guinness Father's Day giveaway' alongside a photo of a fridge full of Guinness. The fake text asks the person who has received it to fill in a quiz, and to then choose from a number of boxes to find the "golden ticket".
However, the drinks company is urging people to be aware that the Guinness competition being sent to people on the messaging app is not genuine and people shouldn't open the link as it can steal personal and banking information.
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Once a person clicks on the link, a page pops up which says "Hello! Get ready for the Guinness Father’s Day Giveaway. Take our quiz and win a Guinness mini-fridge full of beer!
"247 mini-fridges left." Question one, of four questions in the quiz, asks users "Do you know Guinness?"
A spokeswoman for Diageo told the Irish Daily Mirror: "This is not a Guinness competition and appears to be a scam. We would advise anyone who has received this message to not open the link and delete it immediately."
The scam has also circulated on other social media platforms like Facebook Messenger.
Last year, a similar fake scam was doing the rounds where a competition offered Heineken fans the chance to "win'" free cans of the beer for Father's Day 2022. But Dutch beer giant Heineken quickly confirmed that this was a scam and urged Heineken fans not to fall for it.
Gardai are urging members of the public to be vigilant of this scam and other phishing scams doing the rounds. Gardai have released the following fraud prevention advice:
- Don’t respond to any unsolicited email seeking personal, financial or security advice
- Never click on a link or attachment in an unsolicited email
- If you believe the email is from a genuine source, verify this independent of the email sender
- Independently (not the caller or texter) verify any requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you by the caller or texter.
Gardai have said that further information and advice on fraud prevention can be found at www.garda.ie
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