BMW Giveaway Like-Farming Scam

This story was first published on March 18, 2014

A post currently circulating on Facebook promises users the chance to win a BMW just for liking, sharing, and commenting.

The message claims that to go in the draw to win one of two cars to be given away on October 16, 2017, all users need do is like and share a promotional image, add the comment “win”, and like the Facebook Page from which the message originates. The message features a blue BMW gift-wrapped with a large red bow.

However, the Facebook Page and all of the messages that it spawns are part of a typical like-farming scam. The Page is bogus and has no association whatsoever with BMW. And the claim that it is giving away BMW cars is a lie. There are no prizes.

In fact, the Page is just one in a series of very similar like-farming scams that have claimed to be giving away BMW cars in exchange for liking, sharing and commenting.

As the name suggests, the goal of like-farmers is to harvest as many Page likes as possible from unsuspecting participants. They achieve this by tricking people into spamming the bogus giveaway posts to all of their friends via shares and comments and liking the scam Page. Once a Page has accumulated a large number of likes, it can be used to perpetrate survey, rogue app, and advance fee scams to its now sizable audience.

Alternatively, the scammers who own the Page may decide to sell the Page to other scammers or unscrupulous Internet marketers who will repurpose it to fit their own requirements.

Like-farming is a common scammer ploy on Facebook. Be wary of any Facebook post or Page that claims that users can win an expensive prize just for liking, sharing or commenting.

If one of these scam messages comes your way, do not click the link it contains. Please do not participate “just in case” the claims are true as this only benefits the scammers and exposes all of your friends to the fraudulent activity as well.