Heads up Facebook users, there have been reports of a scam targeting a northern Indiana Accredited Business on a popular social media site.
The Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Indiana issued a release Thursday, warning consumers of a Facebook post advertising a free RV that’s making the rounds.
The RV, a 2020 Jayco Greyhawk, was purportedly being given away by the northern Indiana RV manufacturer to “one lucky winner who shared the post.”
The giveaway was not posted by Jayco, but instead, by scammers hoping to collect as many Facebook “likes as possible.” This is known as like-farming, and can lead to things like malicious malware downloads onto your device. Scammers can also remove the post’s original message, and promote spammy products once the original post reaches a certain amount of likes.
In this specific instance, Jayco caught on to the scam, and posted an update on their official Facebook page.
To protect yourself from like-farming, the Better Business Bureau recommends these tips:
- Use your good judgement. If a post says you can win something just by sharing the post, it’s probably not true. If a post tugs at your heartstrings and isn’t about someone you know personally, be wary about the truthfulness of its contents.
- Don’t click “like” on every post in your feed. Scammers are counting on getting as many mindless likes as possible, so be sure you only “like” posts and articles that are legitimate. Don’t help scammers spread their con.
- Be cautious when it comes to sharing your personal information. Never give out personal information, such as your full name, telephone number, address, etc. to a person or company you don’t know or trust.
- Update your web browser. Make sure you always have the latest version of your browser. That way, if you do accidentally click on a scammer’s post, your browser will be more likely to warn you about suspicious sites.
