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Sep 03, 2023

Amazon shoppers warned about tempting giveaway offer on Facebook

A FAKE Amazon scam is doing to rounds on Facebook, luring in innocent users with

A FAKE Amazon scam is doing to rounds on Facebook, luring in innocent users with a bargain parcel giveaway.

Fraudsters on Facebook are offering uncollected parcels for just £2, in a bid to "free up" space in Amazon warehouses.

They claim that uncollected parcels from DHL's post offices are "sitting idle in Amazon warehouses", and are ready to be sold for a bargain price of £2 a pallet, Full Fact first reported.

"The items are brand new and can be picked up by anyone who fills out an application form on the website," scammers wrote in one Facebook post, under a page titled 'Liquidation of a household goods warehouse'.

There is more than one post advertising the fake offer.

Both posts link to a page that resembles Amazon - but is not - and asks users to complete a survey for the opportunity to "win" a pallet, rather than purchase one for £2 as the posts state.

While the website looks similar to Amazon, it does not have the official URL address.

The link users are directed to is likely designed to introduce malware into their device or is a bid to draw out financial details.

A spokesperson for Amazon said the deal is fake and not related to the company.

However, they added that the ecommerce giant does do large-scale product donations where parcels are loaded onto pallets in the same way as in the photos.

While a spokesperson for DHL added: "To our knowledge this isn't genuine".

It appears to be an organised scam, whereby other fake Facebook accounts comment on the post to give the offer an air of credibility.

Spam accounts are also posting pictures of high-value gifts that they supposedly received from the £2 deal.

"Best 2 gbp I have ever spent thank you," said one spam account under the name of Jeff Lau, who suggested they'd received a PlayStation 4 in their array of parcels.

Another, this time under the name of Lisa Caldwell, said: "I called a friend who works at amazon.

"He said the promotion was only available online because it was a warehouse sale and the regular store could not offer such a promotion."

There are several comments from Facebook users saying they got a great deal, but they are all fake accounts with zero friends.

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