A warning has been issued to WhatsApp users over a scam message promising to give people the opportunity to win "free crates of beer" for Father's Day. The scam claims to be part of a so-called 'Heineken Beer Father’s Day Contest 2022', with "5,000 coolers full of Heineken beers" on offer.
The message is accompanied by a picture of an 18-pack cooler of Heineken and comes through on the app as though a contact has sent it. It also includes a link to click through to the beer company’s website to enter the competition. But upon opening up the link, users are instantly at risk of exposure to phishing scams, spam and malicious websites that could lead to the theft of their personal information.
Addressing news of the scam doing the rounds on WhatsApp, Heineken posted a message on Twitter, saying: “This is a scam. Thank you for highlighting it to us. Please don’t click on links or forward any messages. Many thanks.”
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A WhatsApp spokeswoman said: “WhatsApp protects our users’ personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we can all play a role in keeping our accounts safe by remaining vigilant to the threat of scammers.
“We advise people never to share their six-digit PIN code with others, not even friends or family, and recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security. And if you receive a suspicious message, we encourage users to report the message to us so we can review it for spam or abuse.”
Adam French, Which? consumer rights spokesman, said: “Unscrupulous fraudsters will use every trick in the book to try and get victims to hand over their money and sensitive personal information, so people should be wary of suspicious WhatsApp messages about Father’s Day.
“Treat messages about competitions that come out of the blue with caution. If you have clicked on a suspicious link and think you may have given your details away to a scammer, you should contact your bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud, or the police if you live in Scotland.”
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