A Facebook scam posing as major airlines like American Airlines, British Airways and Southwest Airlines has been revealed.
Hoax-Slayer, a website that combats scams and advocates prevention, says that in order for the scam to take effect, users have to like the post and then share it. This helps the fake page gain a bigger following at a quicker rate. Other times users are asked to take a survey that requires personal information.
The information gathered is then sold to marketing firms to use in emails or telemarketing calls. There have even been cases of hacked Facebook accounts.
Several airlines have issued statements assuring they are not affiliated with the scam to Facebook users.
Top Asian airlines such as Air Asia, Emirates, Philippines Airlines and Singapore Airlines have all released statements. A scam promising free Emirates tickets to WhatsApp users recently struck the United Kingdom.
Hoax-Slayer says in order to protect yourself, be sure to check if the page sharing the deal is verified with a blue or grey checkmark.
Their best advice is to not participate at all.
Main photo by Karl Baron, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lead photo by sigmama, CC BY-SA 2.0
Caroline Windham is a travel intern and freelance writer out of Athens, Ga.