Heineken beer Father’s Day scam: WhatsApp issues warning over fake text
Fake contest promises participants ‘5,000 coolers full of’ Dutch beer
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Your support makes all the difference.WhatsApp users are being warned about a scam message circulating on the app which offers people the chance to win “free crates of beer” in time for Father’s Day.
The scam claims the “Heineken Beer Father’s Day Contest 2022” will give winners “5,000 coolers full of Heineken for your Dad”.
The contest appears as a WhatsApp message from a contact along with a picture of an 18-pack cooler of Heineken, as well as a link to click through to the beer company’s website to enter the competition.
However, the link runs the risk of users exposing themselves to phishing scams, spam and malicious websites which could potentially steal personal information, warns scam alert website onlinethreatalerts.com.
Heineken has acknowledged the “contest” as a scam, responding to one message on Twitter, saying: “This is a scam. Thank you for highlighting it to us. Please don’t click on links or forward any messages. Many thanks.”
The beer giant has previously been used in a similar scam in 2020 where people were led to believe they could win “free kegs of Heineken beer”.
The company had to release a statement warning people not to fall victim to the phishing scam.
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