According to a message currently spreading rapidly via social media, you can win a 65 inch Samsung Smart TV by entering a code into Google and clicking on the first link in the results page.
The message claims that you will just need to correctly answer 4 questions and open an account with the video streaming service Stan to get your free TV.
However, the message is a scam and it has no connection whatsoever with either Stan or Samsung.
Stan is a legitimate video streaming service but it is in no way associated with this supposed TV giveaway promotion and the scammers are using its name fraudulently.
Those who choose to participate will never receive the promised TV. The scam is designed to trick people into submitting their credit card details and other personal information on a decidedly dodgy video streaming website.
An example of the scam post:
It turned out that all you need to do is simply enter the code “IPX256GPM” in Google and click on the first link in the results, , read this article to learn more. It’s very easy! 🙂 Yesterday, a courier brought me a package which contained the new Samsung Smart TV!
If you enter the code into Google, clicking the first result opens a web page with only the following content
"If you live in Australia and want the brand new 65' Samsung Smart TV, then this is definitely the most exciting article you'll ever read. IPX256GPM/ipx256gpm
The page features upper and lower case versions of the code in the content. It also includes the code in the web address of the page. Via this simple tactic, the scammers are able to ensure that the page with the code appears in the first position in Google searches. The string of numbers and letters that the scammers use is unlikely to be included on other websites, so it is thus more likely to be listed first in Google results.
This initial page quickly redirects to another page titled ” How the Australians Are Getting the Brand New 65″ Samsung Smart TV for only 1$”. The page is presented in news format and supposedly explains why the promotion is being run and how users can get the promised free TV:
If you click one of the links in the bogus news report, you will be taken to another website that asks you to answer 4 questions. One of the questions asks if you are over 18 years old. The other three ask about TV brands and video streamings services. But, regardless of which answers you give, you will always be told that you have indeed won the TV:
You are then told that you must click a button to open a free account on a video streaming website before you can claim your TV.
The site that opens when you click the button claims that you can sign up to get free access to thousands of free movies. However, it insists that you provide valid credit card details along with your name and contact information as a means of verifying your identity and validating your account.
Any company that users such deceptive tactics to gain new members should certainly not be trusted with your credit card numbers or any other personal information.
Note that details such as the supposed code and the name of the video streaming site changes in different versions of the scam. There are in fact multiple versions of the sites used in this scam campaign.
The messages and web pages used in the scam claim that you need to hurry because the promotion is about to end. However, this supposed deadline is just a ruse designed to get people to quickly proceed without due caution. The deadlines will change depending on what date you visit the scam sites.
If one of these messages comes your way, do not be tricked into entering the code into Google and clicking any links.
Original Source : https://www.hoax-slayer.net/win-a-free-samsung-smart-tv-scam-message/