Image: Namibia Fact Check / WhatsApp
Viral WhatsApp and social media posts falsely claim that companies are giving away money prizes if people answer a fake survey.
In what is a typical online or social media phishing scam, people are invited to participate in a ‘survey’ by clicking on a link.
Various company names and logos are being used to scam people into giving over personal information and contact details to scammers.
So far, via WhatsApp Namibia Fact Check has come across the same scam using the company logos and names of Pick n Pay, Food Lover’s Market and FNB Namibia, as well as Metro Cash n Cary and even WhatsApp itself.
The scam involves a survey in commemoration of the particular company’s fake birthday anniversary, and makes use of almost exactly the same text and format.
These scam surveys have been seen and forwarded virally in WhatsApp and Facebook groups since late October 2021.
The survey scam is an old scam that has recently been recirculating online.
Company responses
For its part, already back in December 2017, Pick n Pay alerted customers and social media users to this particular scam via a media release that was reported on in South African media.
Food Lover’s Market has also issued a statement on its website denying involvement in the anniversary survey competition being run in its name, stating:
“We have been alerted to a phishing scam targeting consumers via a message being shared on WhatsApp. The message falsely claims to be a competition in celebration of Food Lover’s Market’s 30th birthday and promises that one lucky entrant may win R4000. This is a scam and we implore our consumers not to click on this link or share it under any circumstances. The company is not celebrating its 30th birthday, the competition is completely fraudulent and did NOT originate from Food Lover’s Market or any of its partners.”
And FNB Namibia recently issued the following scam alerts when notified by Namibia Fact Check of the fake surveys circulating in its name in WhatsApp groups.
