WhatsApp warns against Father's Day free beer scam that's going viral; Know all about it

Father's Day 2022 is right around the corner and a message urging individuals to take part in a 'Heineken Beer Father's Day Contest 2022' has been going viral on WhatsApp. The scam message claims that an individual can have the chance to win 5,000 coolers of beer and comes with a link, that if clicked, can put one's personal information at risk. WhatsApp has issued warnings to users, informing them of the scam and urging them not to click any links.

Free beer WhatsApp message scam ahead of Father's Day 2022

A WhatsApp scam has gone viral in the days leading up to Father's Day 2022, in which individuals are urged to click on a link, which suggests that a limited number of beers are still available to be won. However, as per a report by Forbes, this is merely a trick to steal data from individuals' devices. As per BBC News, the message reads, "Hello, Welcome to Heineken Beer Father's Day Contest. Take the quiz, find the hidden prize and win a cooler full of Heineken Beer. 250 gifts left."

Heineken earlier addressed the issue and wrote, "This is a scam. Thank you for highlighting it to us. Please don't click on links or forward any messages."

A WhatsApp spokeswoman also opened up about the matter in a conversation with Sky News. She urged users to be 'vigilant to the threat of scammers' and never to share their six-digit PIN code with anyone.

She said, "We can all play a role in keeping our accounts safe by remaining vigilant to the threat of scammers. We advise people never to share their six-digit PIN code with others, not even friends or family, and recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security." She also added that individuals must always check a brand's official website or social media accounts before falling prey to such scams. She mentioned that users are encouraged to report any suspicious messages to the company.

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