Shopee Urges Users Not To Respond To WhatsApp Scam Asking To Do Marketing Survey
A new scam variation has recently made its way to messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Instead of asking for identification and banking information, scammers are now requesting potential victims to help out with a seemingly harmless marketing survey for platforms like Shopee. They even offered prospective victims monetary incentives for completing the survey.
Source: Shopee Careers
As the scam grows in prevalence, Shopee is urging users to be vigilant and not respond to such suspicious messages.
Shopee warns users about new WhatsApp scam
MS News readers wrote in to share about the new scam which they spotted from as early as Wednesday (3 May).
These users apparently received a text message from a number with a +1 dialing code, which indicates its origins in the United States (US) or Canada.
The person on the other end of the line then claimed that they were from “Shopee’s marketing department”.
Image courtesy of MS News reader
They alleged that they were doing a “market research review” in hopes of understanding customers’ shopping experiences better.
The ‘survey’ included questions that asked for the following information:
- user’s frequency of purchases on Shopee
- category of products for recent purchase
- user’s nationality
- user’s age range
Besides gathering such data, the scammer would also offer individuals money in exchange for completing the questionnaire.
Users urged to be vigilant & not trust ‘unofficial sources’
In response to MS News’ queries, a Shopee spokesperson said they are aware of the new scam making rounds on messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Users are urged to be vigilant and not to trust “unofficial sources” that claim to be from Shopee.
Shopee also advised users not to respond to these messages nor click on any links sent by these scammers.
They remind everyone to only check official channels like the Shopee App or verified social media accounts for official announcements.
Customers who need urgent assistance may contact Shopee’s Customer Service hotline at +65 6206 6610. You may also refer to this page for tips to avoid scams when transacting on Shopee.
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Featured image courtesy of an MS News reader and adapted from The Jakarta Post.
