A new scam is reportedly spreading like wildfire on Facebook with the message Eat for Free at Cheesecake Factory! [link]“, tricking users to click on the link and spread the same scam across the social network by sharing it with friends.
The scam message comes with a description that reads – “As the holidays approach, Cheesecake Factory has decided to celebrate early by giving away FREE DINNERS to it’s fans and customers. Claim yours now before they’re all gone!”. Please be cautious that this is a scam and there is no such gift cards given away for free.
Clicking the scam link will take you to a web page where you are asked to “like”, share, and add a comment indicating that you received the gift. Once done, you will be redirected to the following web page -
Please don’t get tricked by the web page and DO NOT complete any surveys. In the online survey you will be asked to answer a set of questions, after which you need to enter your personal information as well as financial details like credit card number or bank account number. Entering these details will pose serious threats to your accounts, so please avoid entering your credentials.
Sometimes it may result in downloading malware programs or other malicious files, which could possibly harm your computer. These files are programmed in a way to steal your personal and confidential information without your knowledge.
It is recommended that you DO NOT click on such links or scam messages on Facebook. If you come across this scam message, please delete/remove the scam from your Facebook news feed immediately. Alternately, you can report the scam to Facebook Security.
With over 800 million users on Facebook, the social networking giant has always been a main target for spreading scams. It is quite difficult to identify scams on Facebook. Here is a post on How to Identify and Avoid Facebook Scams. As a precautionary measure, always check which applications you use and remove unwanted or suspicious ones. If you aren’t sure how to do it, you can always check our guide on removing apps from Facebook. In addition to that, don’t forget to check out our article about Avoiding Facebook Lifejacking and Clickjacking scams.
Bookmark Techie Buzz Facebook Scams. We always keep you updated with the latest scams spreading on Facebook.
