It’s that time of year again. The scammers are out in force trying to get people to part with their hard earned money in the run up to Christmas. This time its a public transport free travel for £2 scam. The scammers are running ads on Facebook like the one below.
On the surface the offer looks very tempting. It even looks more legit when you check the comments and see lots of apparently happy customers all claiming they got the card and free travel. Don’t fall for it. Those are fake reviews. Anyone pointing out that the post is a scam gets blocked and the comment removed.
How The Scam Works
If you click on the link you will be taken to a web page with a “pick a box” game. You will be asked three questions then asked to pick a box. Selecting one of the boxes will pop up a message that you are a winner and you qualify for a £2 Swift Card. There appears to be a link to the transport company at the bottom of the page to add legitimacy. It’s not a real link.
You will then be taken to a page where you are asked to put in your payment details. Once the scammer has your identity and payment card details they can do anything with them. In this case it seems to sign you up for an expensive recurring subscription.
Many people think because it is only £2 at stake, what have they got to lose. And that is how the scammers want you to think. Do not fill in any information and if you have already given your card details out call your bank and get your card stopped.
Transport for West Midlands released the following statement about the scam:
We are aware of a number of fraudulent social media posts offering free travel on a £2 Swift card. Do not engage with any of these posts and report them immediately.
Sponsored Posts on Facebook
At the moment, the scammers mainly seem to be operating on Facebook but they may also use other social media platforms in the future. If you see an ad on Facebook report the post. Click the three dots in the top right of a post, then select Find support or report post. You can explain why you’re reporting the post and access other tools, like blocking the person.
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