Fake Starbuck Thermal Flask Giveaway Circulates On WhatsApp
As more people gain access to technology, the amount of scams also rise to take advantage of unsuspecting users. One of them is a ‘phish’, wherein the user is tricked into providing personal information to a link or website under the guise of an official company.
An MS News reader wrote in to us to warn about a WhatsApp text circulating about a Starbucks thermal flask giveaway.
Starbucks Singapore confirmed with MS News that the promo is indeed fake.
WhatsApp text about Starbucks anniversary celebration is fake
The text claims that Starbucks is giving away “2000 Limited Starbucks Thermo Flask”.
Included are certain instructions, namely that each person can only participate once, that the offer is first come first serve, and the ‘welfare activitie does not cost anything’.
The first 2 instructions seem innocuous enough, but the 3rd instruction should be a red flag.
Many phishing texts and emails contain misspellings.
A second red flag is the URL provided.
If that doesn’t scream ‘sus’, we’re not sure what does.
Don’t click on suspicious links or provide info
A check with Starbucks Singapore shows that the post is indeed fake.
They’ve also posted on their social media to warn others to not click the link or circulate it.
Some who received the text may have tried to access the link.
However, one should be safe as long as they didn’t provide any personal information. If you did, you’re advised to secure your accounts.
There’s a chance that someone else may contact you after you’ve done so. Do ignore such contact requests.
We also advise everyone to not blindly forward such texts, as they may cause someone to be scammed.
Always check with the relevant companies and social media to see if such a giveaway is official.
For more information on phishing scams, you can visit ScamAlert’s advisory here.
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Featured image provided by an MS News reader.
