Martha Stewart Le Creuset Giveaway Scam: Beware!
Martha Stewart Le Creuset Giveaway Scam: My Experience
The video contained a link on its description page which I was told to click on. However, when I did so, instead of a Le Creuset page, I was taken to a food and cooking website.
At the bottom page was an order option for the Le Creuset cookware sets, I was told to pay $9 only for shipping and handling. However, on close look, I discovered it was a subscription page. Once I make the payment, I’d be automatically charged $9 every month for accessing the website.
How Does The Martha Stewart Le Creuset Giveaway Scam Work?
Uses AI Generated Videos of Celebrities
The scam uses images and AI generated videos of Martha Stewart to promote the fake giveaway. Words like ‘Martha Stewart teams with Le Creuset‘ ‘Martha Stewart & Le Creuset’ are used to make it sound convincing.
Convinces Social Media Users with Fake Reviews
On the comment section of the fake giveaway posts there are comments and reviews from people posing as winners. However, the profiles are fake and the reviews were scripted to make people believe the giveaway is real.
Traps You With a Professional Looking Website
The landing page for this scam is structured to look professional with the ‘Le Creuset brand and logo. It also displays reviews from alleged winners. However, this is all part of the scam.
Scams Users with Subscription Membership
When you go to pay for the shipping fee, there are tiny letters in the checkout page which says you’re subscribing to a service and would get debited for some amount of money monthly. After paying for shipping, you wouldn’t receive the prize or get any tracking number, rather you will receive unauthorised charges on your credit card.
I believe I feel for a scam on Tiktok. I have been charged $8.16 (add says pay $9.99 for shipping and handling) and get a free set of Le Creuset as a promotion for Martha Stewart
Tim
Steals Your Personal and Financial information
Aside from subscribing you to a phoney service, this scam also steals your sensitive data like your credit card number and name when you pay for shipping. This information is then sold to the dark web and used to commit different kinds of fraudulent activities.
What To Do If You’re a Victim of The Martha Stewart Le Creuset Giveway Scam
Contact Your bank To Cancel The Transaction and Get a Refund
The first thing you should do is contact your bank to inform them about the fraudulent subscription. Through the chargeback system, you can get your money back from the transaction if you file a dispute claim.
Requests for a New Credit Card
Since you unknowingly subscribed for a service which you can’t trace, it’d be best if you ditch the credit card and get a new one. That way you wouldn’t get charged for the subscription again.
Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication
The second step you should take is updating your passwords. This should be done if you’ve used the same password you used on other websites or applications. You should also go an extra step of enabling two-factor authentication. This would keep you protected from data breech.
Scan Your Device with a Malware Checker Tool
There’s a likelihood that your device has been infested by malware or spyware after visiting the site. Scanning your device with a malware removal tool will detect and remove any viruses, spyware, or other malicious programs. See best malware device tools here
How To Spot Fake Giveaways and Prizes
Check the Company’s Social Media Accounts
The first step you should take is finding out if the giveaway has been posted on the company’s social media accounts. If it hasn’t, the giveaway is likely a scam.
If You’re Asked To Pay an Upfront Fee
Legit giveaways don’t ask for any kind of fee, whether shipping or handling fee.
Check For Grammatical and Spelling Mistakes
Scan the giveaway post. Do you notice bad grammar, missing words, or spelling mistakes? These are red flags for a scam. Any company can make a minor mistake when typing out a win notification. However, multiple or glaring errors are a bad sign.
Search for Reviews Online
Are there reviews or posts about the giveaway online? It’s common for various news outlet to carry information about legit giveaways. By searching for reviews online you could also come across warning posts or complaints.
Conclusion
Martha Stewart is not giving away Le Creuset cookware, the posts on social media are fake and created by scammers. Victims of this scam do not receive the prize won but rather get unauthorized credit charges as they unknowingly subscribed to a phoney service.
Phishing scams are on the increase daily, and we’ve been able to fish similar phishing scams like – EireVerify, Svieducation scam, Vince Camuto email scam, NYSDOL scam, USPS scam, to mention but few.
