Updated on 04/08/2022 at 09:48
- Chocolate maker Milka warns of an Easter trap.
- A fake competition for Easter gift baskets has recently been circulating on the WhatsApp messaging service.
- Consumers must take this into account.
Beware, trap! Recently, a link was shared on WhatsApp and social media that was supposed to lead to a Milka Easter competition. The company warns against fraud.
“In various media, consumers are frequently informed about fake Milka sweepstakes,” reads a statement from Milka. “These are click baits that lead to a giveaway.” The company makes it clear: “These shares do not belong to our company”.
Scammers promise “Free Milka Easter Gift Baskets” to lure potential victims to their website. A photo to the side shows the chocolate maker’s Easter products with last year’s slogan: “Let’s make Easter softer.”
Link to fake competition comes from Russia
If you click on the attached link, you will be redirected to a deceptively real website. There, a supposed Easter egg hunt begins with a quiz. After the questions are answered, they are asked to forward the link via WhatsApp – just so they won something. If you close the supposed competition, several browser windows open with signature traps and requests to wipe the phone. Behind him lurks a Trojan.
Also, the link to the “Exclusive Milka Chocolate Basket” ends with “.ru”, the country code for Russia. Scammers aim to steal personal data. These can then be resold or, at worst, used for identity theft.
Fake sweepstakes: Consumers should beware of this
It’s always worth taking a second look at any competition. Deceptive links often contain spelling or grammatical errors, and URLs are cryptic and, as in this case, do not indicate the brand.
Milka advises consumers to exercise caution: the company’s sweepstakes would only take place on milka.com, milka.de or milka.at or would be offered on its own social media channels. In addition, they always contained associated conditions of participation, data protection regulations and a seal. © 1&1 Mail & Media/spot on news
Updated on 03/21/2022 at 09:25
With WhatsApp’s default data protection settings, you reveal a lot about yourself. Stiftung Warentest shows how privacy can be better protected with just a few clicks. © ProSiebenSat.1