Scam Signature Message:
Eat for Free at Cheesecake Factory!
thecheesecakegift.com
As the holidays approach, Cheesecake Factory has decided
to celebrate early by giving away FREE DINNERS to it’s fans
and customers. Claim yours now before they’re all gone!
Scam Type: Bogus Offer
Trending: October 2011
Why it’s a Scam:
Clicking the wall post link takes you to the following page:
As usual, here you are asked to Share the message with your friends and enter a comment on the page. After entering the comment, the following page loads:
Don’t let this slick looking page fool you! As with any “special offer,” you have to read the fine print. The ‘Program Requirements’ state that you have to complete bonus surveys and a total of 5 ‘Reward Offers.’ Chances are, after you have completed the offers it isn’t going to be worth the Gift Card that you won’t receive.
Also keep in mind the scammers are acquiring a treasure trove of your personal data. You will be required to provide your name, address, phone numbers and date of birth. This will enable the shady marketers to not only spam your Facebook account, but also harass you via snail mail, phone calls and text messages.
**Note – Scams like this often use multiple domains, so you may see a variation in the landing pages and scam messages.
How to Deal with the Scam:
If you did make the mistake of sharing the scam link, then you are now spamming your friends with the very same message. Clean-up your newsfeed and profile to remove references to the scam. (click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the post).
Be on the lookout for more marketing offers arriving to your email inbox and physical address if you submitted that information to the scammers. Also be aware and alert for possible identity theft attempts.
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