Oprah Le Creuset Giveaway Scam: Don’t Be Tricked By Fake Free Cookware Ads
At the order page for the Le Creuset cookware, instead of the $9 shipping fee, people would be tricked into a subscription scam. The Terms & Conditions written in small prints says ”You’ll be charged a one time charge of $119 at checkout. You’ll gain admittance to our top notch content which incorporates usage of healthy meal plans application; or month to month membership to a healthy meal plans ”
Instead of a free Le Creuset cookware, victims would receive access to an online food magazine at an expensive subscription fee of $119.
SCAM GIVEAWAY!
Exposing The Oprah Le Creuset Cookware Giveaway Scam – How It Works
Uses AI Generated Videos of Oprah Winfrey
The scam uses images and AI generated videos of Oprah to promote the fake giveaway. Words like ‘I am back again with another INSANE Christmas giveaway’ 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 Food Network 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 fell for a scam on Facebook. I have been charged $8.16 (add says pay $9.99 for shipping and handling) I got a $120 credit charge
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 Oprah Le Creuset Giveaway 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
Oprah Winfrey is not giving away free Le Creuset cookware or cookbooks this holiday season. The giveaway posts and Ads are created by scammers who trick people into a subscription trap. Victims of this scam do not receive the prize won but rather get charged $119 for a phoney subscription service.
