Who doesn’t want free stuff? You’re looking through your phone and suddenly You come across an advertisement that claims you’ve won an KFC bucket in KFC’s “55th Anniversary Giveaway.” The page looks legitimate and has fancy photos of crisp chicken and happy messages. But wait, is it that easy to win free food? The answer is probably no.
Let’s walk through these shady schemes to find out how it works, and most important, how to be sure not to get caught.
One of these is an untrue KFC giveaway page which promises to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the company with food-related prizes for free. Let’s look at the details of this scam and what to be aware of.
How the Fake KFC Giveaway Works
Then, you click the link, and the webpage shouts, “Congratulations! Congratulations!” It’s all very thrilling. The website looks very official too, it has KFC logos, pictures of tasty food items, and a large red button that reads “OK” to claim your prize. It’s already tempting you to dream of the free chicken. However, this is where the scam begins.
Step 1: Mobile Users Only
The scammers are aware of whom they’re targeting: mobile phone users. They’ve created a sly script that detects whether you’re using a smartphone. If you’re on a computer it will just redirect users to Google. Why? Because mobile devices are more easy to manipulate. It’s likely that you’re multitasking on your phone, and less likely to pay attention to what’s happening.
ALSO READ
Clark and moore Review: Clarkandmoore com – Scam or legit?
Veloura™ Elegance Lace Dress Review: Veloura net – Scam or legit?
Mini Mobile ATM Review : Is Mini Mobile ATM Legit?
Step 2: Survey Says… You’re a Winner!
When you’re satisfied to the page, it will ask you to answer a couple of questions that are easy to answer, like “Do you like KFC food?” or “How old are you?” Once you’ve answered the questions an additional pop-up is displayed:
Sweet deal, right? But don’t get too excited. This is just a trick to keep you on the move.
Step 3: The Sharing Trap
Here’s the part that gets a bit tricky. They ask you that you must share this page your contacts on WhatsApp to win the prize. They also include a small progress bar that grows every when you post. However, regardless of how much you share, the bar is never really at 100 percent. The scammers want to continue sharing their scam more and more.
Step 4: Click, Click, Redirect
At some point, you’ll be asked follow a link to get your reward. What link? It’s not going to the official website of KFC. Instead, you’re taken to a random website from a third-party which might prompt for you to download an app or register for something that isn’t legitimate or even worse. These are the kind of websites that could take your personal information or bombard your phone with ads that are spammy.
Step 5: You Can’t Escape
Have you tried using your back button? But the page will trap users with a pop-up that reads “Please Share Maximum to receive your gift.” In essence they’re trying keep you on their fraudulent page the longest time possible.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Okay, now you’re aware of the ways scams operate Here’s how you can spot these scams on the streets:
Too good to be true Offers Free food just by clicking? Yeah, right. If the giveaway appears too simple, it’s most likely fake.
Scam URLs: Examine the address on the internet. If it’s something like this, instead of “kfc.com,” you’re dealing with a fraud.
The pressure to share: If a page is asking for you to share the page with your friends in order to win a prize This is a red signal. Genuine companies will not force you to email your contacts to offer gratis prizes.
Random Redirects: Are you clicking hyperlinks that take you to unrelated websites that ask for personal information or application downloads? It’s not cool. Beware.
Notifications in Pop-ups: When the page will not let you go without alerting you it’s a signal that you should close your browser and go away.
How to Protect Yourself
With this the knowledge you need, here’s how to stay away from these sly techniques:
Make sure you verify before clicking When you come across an offer, make sure you check the official site of the organization or social media sites first. If there’s nothing on the page It’s probably fake.
Don’t Share without Thinking Sharing is caring but not in the case of frauds. Do not share links unless you’re confident that they’re genuine.
Use your senses to determine if there’s a feeling that something isn’t right such as progress bars that don’t fully fill or strange redirects, follow your instincts and leave out.
Stay Safe Protect your mobile and web browser secure by using security tools to stop downloads and sites that are suspicious.
The Bottom Line
Scammers are sly with fake giveaways and scams, but you now are aware of what to look for. When you’re offered free KFC chicken, or another scam be sure to take the time to look at the information and make sure they don’t fool you into sharing their bogus offer. Be aware and ensure that your chicken-free dreams grounded in real life!