Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013

The Apple Products or Store giveaway below is a scam, spreading on Facebook like wildfire. Already, this scam Facebook page has received more than 2,000 'likes'. This is another scam which tricks persons into visiting online advertisements, by promising them an entry in the bogus Apple IMac giveaway. The scammers behind this fake promotion will be paid each time someone visits the advertisements.

Advertisements
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013

Here is a copy of the fake Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam

fake Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam

To celebrate our amazing year at the Apple Store we're going to give away 259 Apple iMac's randomly to those who Share this picture and Like this page.

Complete the final step:
appleimac.losfaras.com
The winners will be announced in this page on the 15th July

Good Luck!

The scam is located on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ AppleStoreGiveaway.

www.facebook.com/AppleStoreGiveaway

But, the actual website is located at the following web address: appleimac.losfaras.com

appleimac.losfaras.com

Clicking the "Register" button on this website will take you to the following web page:

s3-sa-east-1.amazonaws.com/appleregalo/form.html

s3-sa-east-1.amazonaws.com/appleregalo/form.html

Clicking on the "Click here to see if you're a winner!' link, will take you to some form of online advertisement. It seems the scammers behind this scam will be paid each time someone visits the advertisement.

Please do not follow the instructions in this promotion and do not share, 'like', or comment on it.to help stop the spread of this bogus promotion on Facebook, please use the "Report Story or Spam" button, to report it to Facebook.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

Bookmark articleSave

Was this article helpful?

Advertisements

Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 10)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

Your post will be set as anonymous because you are not signed in. An anonymous post cannot be edited or deleted, therefore, review it carefully before posting. Sign-in.

August 19, 2013 at 8:26 AM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Kingston, Jamaica

There’s a Facebook user called Angela Walker who has one of those Apple Imac scam photos on her Facebook. I’m not sure whether she’s posted it herself, whether her account has been hacked, or whether it's a fake account, but it contains the same bogus message: “we’re going to give away 259 Apple Imac’s to those who share this picture…”<br/><br/>To say this particular photo has spread like wildfire would be an understatement. At last count, this photo has been shared almost 544,000 times since it was posted. I’m sick of seeing it. I’ve reported it, but unfortunately it appears that Facebook doesn’t take reports of spam very seriously as no action has been taken. <br/><br/>By the way, this particular photo is easy to find. Just type in “Imac Scam” in Facebook's search engine and go to ‘public posts’. This is because so many people are trying to warn the people that are sharing this picture that it’s a scam, but sadly it appears to be falling on deaf ears.

Delete

August 6, 2013 at 9:59 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
info

For information about the Fake Australia Kmart Facebook pages, <a href="/article/2013/8/6/fake-australia-kmart-facebook-pages-promotions-or-giveaways-august-6-2013/" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Delete

August 6, 2013 at 9:03 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
info

Where is this fake Australian Kmart store located?

Delete

August 6, 2013 at 6:59 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

There’s now a fake Kmart Australia page polluted with bogus Macbook offers, scamming people and encouraging them to like, share and comment. It’s got over 1,600 fans compared to the official Kmart Australia page which has nearly 52,000 likes.

Delete

July 31, 2013 at 4:11 AM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Southampton, England, United Kingdom

no longer has Click here to see if you are a winner, it instead has win a trip to dubia that seems it is a misspelling of Dubai.

Delete

July 30, 2013 at 5:59 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Bristol, England, United Kingdom

i think it best to stop letting them put things up on facebook

Delete

July 28, 2013 at 11:09 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: New York, United States

I just spent alot time trying to find out how to enter this contest '

Delete

July 28, 2013 at 1:08 AM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

I've just seen a very similar post being shared from a fake "X Factor-Australia" Facebook page. The page is easily identified as bogus given that there's no spaces between the hyphen and the page only has 2000+ likes, compared to the official "X Factor - Australia" page which has nearly 508,000 likes.<br/><br/>The message, accompanied by a photo, posted on July 24, states that "due to our huge success, we have decided to give away 250 iMac computers. To win, you must share this picture and like the page".<br/><br/>It then gives the link to "complete the final step" with winners to be announced at the end of August.

Delete

July 26, 2013 at 7:45 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States

Another Scam? Here is how it is posted on Facebook:<br/>We have got 141 boxes of iMacs that can’t be sold because they have been unsealed. Therefore we are giving them away for free.<br/><br/>Want one of them? Just Share this Photo & Like our page and we will choose 141 people completely at random on July 31st and winners will be posted here.<br/><br/>Good Luck!

Delete

July 14, 2013 at 2:17 PM by
Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013
an anonymous user from: Southampton, England, United Kingdom

i went on this and clicked on the winner link. it took me to the site hxxp://rogena.net that has malwares. I have a MAC so the malwares did not turn up.

Delete

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

Advertisements

Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Apple iMac Store Products Giveaway Scam July 2013