It may be a brand new year, but if scammers can continue to make money through old tricks why should they change their methods?
After all, there are plenty of internet users who don’t seem to have learnt from the past.
Here’s an example of the latest scam spreading on Facebook:
Get Free £250 ASOS voucher Now. (259 Left)
[LINK]Claim your Free £250 ASOS Voucher. Only a few left.
ASOS, if you aren’t aware, stands for “As Seen On Screen”, and has a large online presence in the UK for selling fashion and beauty products.
So, it’s quite possible, that you know young people who would buy products from ASOS, and so you might not be surprised if you see them share a message like the one above.
There’s only one problem. It’s a scam.
If you click on the link, you are told to share the link with your own Facebook friends and make some realistic-looking comment about how grateful you are to ASOS for their generous offer, before you stand any chance of finding out if you have won the £250 ASOS Gift Voucher or not.
Of course, ASOS isn’t giving any way any such vouchers – and the promotion is nothing to do with them. Instead it’s a ploy to trick users into taking online surveys which earn the scammers affiliate cash.
If you see one of your friends duped by a scam like this, remind them to be more careful in future. After all, everytime they share a message like this they are polluting the Facebook newsfeeds of their friends with more junk, and putting people at risk if something malicious is lying at the end of the link.
If you are on Facebook, and want to be kept updated with news about security and privacy risks, and tips on how to protect yourself online, join the Graham Cluley Security News Facebook page.
