Outline
Facebook Page claims that lottery winner Brad Duke is giving $20 million to Facebook users. To get a chance to win, users are instructed to like the Page and add a comment stating what they would do with their prize money. Posts on the Page include images depicting large sums of cash in Australian dollars.
Brief Analysis
The Page is a scam and has no connection whatsoever with Brad Duke. Brad Duke really did win a very large lottery prize back in 2005, but he is not randomly giving away millions of dollars to people who like a Facebook Page. The Page is designed to garner large numbers of likes under false pretences. Pages with high like numbers can later be sold on the black market or used to perpetrate further spam and scam campaigns. The images of cash used on the Page are stolen from other sources and depict money seized in various police raids on drug or money laundering operations.
Example
For those who have not saw yet.
LIKE THIS PHOTO for a chance to win a million dollars! I will be giving 1 million dollars to 20 people! Make sure you like my page and post on the wall why you feel you should win
Brad Duke’s 20 million dollar giveaway contest
Detailed Analysis
According to a Page currently being promoted on Facebook, users can get a chance to win a share of $20 million just by liking the Page and adding a comment stating how they would use their winnings. The Page claims that lottery winner Brad Duke is operating the giveaway and that 20 participants will be selected to receive $1 million each. Promotional posts on the Page feature photographs of large sums of cash in Australian dollars.
But, in fact, there are no prizes and no winners. Brad Duke really did win a very large prize in a US-based lottery back in 2005. However, this Facebook Page has no connection with Brad Duke. While Duke has used much of his winnings to help others, he is certainly not randomly giving away millions of dollars to strangers via a Facebook Page.
The Page is a typical like-farming scam. The goal of the scammer responsible for the Page is to accumulate as many likes as possible as quickly as possible. Facebook Pages with high numbers of likes can later be reused to perpetrate further scams or promote dubious products or services to a now much larger audience. Alternatively, the Pages can be sold for quite substantial sums via a thriving black market.
The wads and bags of cash featured in the Page’s posts are certainly not part of the giveaway as claimed. The images depict cash seized in various Australian police raids and have been stolen from news articles about these raids. The Page’s cover photo was taken from media reports about Brad Duke’s lottery win.
Do not like, share, or comment on this scam Page or any of its messages. Users who like and comment are not only furthering the goals of criminals, they are also exposing their friends and families to the scam. To fight against these scammers, simply do not interact with their bogus Pages in any way whatsoever. And let your friends know that such Pages are scams so that they can avoid interacting as well.
Facebook’s response to such scams has been very inadequate. Nevertheless, it is still worth reporting them. If enough people report them, some like-farming Pages are actually removed.
Original Source : https://www.hoax-slayer.net/like-farming-scam-brad-dukes-20-million-dollar-giveaway-contest/