Did you receive a message on WhatsApp asking you to take a survey to claim free gifts as part of Amazon's 30th anniversary celebrations? If yes, beware! It's a scam which might rip you off.
“Amazon 30th anniversary celebrations – Free gifts for everyone from www.amazon.com," reads the message.
When users click on the message, a new window opens, saying, “Congratulations, you have been chosen to participate in our survey. It will take only a minute, and you will receive a fantastic prize: a Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G Full Netcom 8GB + 256GB (bright black)."
Users are asked to answer four questions 'aiming to improve quality of service': Age group, gender, quality of service provided by Amazon, and which type of phone the user has (Android/iPhone).
Once the user submits the answers, a bunch of gift box images will appear on the screen, of which one should be selected. The fake website then asks users to share the quiz with "five WhatsApp groups or 20 friends” and tells them to download an app and enter their address. The gift will then “be delivered within 5-7 days”.
Providing any information on such websites is dangerous as it can lead to the loss of your personal data and financial fraud, so users are advised not to download any apps. Sometimes, hackers could also use these links to install malware on your device.
Whenever you receive a random message with a clickable link, do check the address of the link. It is made by scammers to look similar to a valid URL, but if you take a close look at it, you will find junk or unwanted characters in it. In any case, whatever the URL, you should avoid clicking on any link sent from an unknown number.