WETHERSPOONS has issued a message to all drinkers over “free drinks” vouchers.
The pub giant warned customers of scam advertisements on social media offering free drinks vouchers.
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Posting on its website Wetherspoons said: “We have been made aware of several social media scams on Facebook.”
One advert said that founder Tim Martin would be retiring and to celebrate, Wetherspoons is offering everyone a meal for two plus drinks for free.
While a similar fraudulent advert said it was offering customers the chance to get a meal for two voucher if they share and comment on the post.
These are fake – the pub is not offering shoppers free drinks vouchers.
Wetherspoons said: “These have been reported to Facebook – and we are working hard to have them removed.
“Wetherspoon does not use any social media. Any promotions on social media which appear to be from Wetherspoon are, therefore, unofficial and fake – so please do not participate or share your details with such adverts.
“We will continue to report fake pages and do apologise for any inconvenience caused by these unassociated spam accounts.”
It comes just two weeks after Amazon issued an urgent warning over fraudsters trying to con shoppers out of their hard-earned cash.
The e-commerce giant was alerting customers to two scams whereby customers are sent dodgy texts and emails.
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Fraudsters are also targeting people with phone calls.
The first scam involves Amazon Prime customers being contacted via call, text or email and told they need to pay extra for membership or that there’s an issue with their account.
Customers are then convinced to provide a payment or bank account information to reinstate their membership.
But it’s all a ruse and the money goes to the scammer.
Before that, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also issued a warning to millions of people on benefits over a scam text message.
Fraudsters have been targeting people on benefits telling them to apply for a £750 cost of living payment.
The text said: “GOV: The £750.00 (GBP) Living Payment is ready, take action by accepting the payment via legalaid.income-division.com.”
It encourages people to follow a link to apply for a £750 cost of living payment.
This is a scam – if you receive this message or something similar do not click on the link or reply to it.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
While you shouldn’t lose any money over these particular scams, it’s important to make note of what to do if you have.
If you’ve already been scammed, you can contact your local Trading Standards office or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
You can try calling your local Citizens Advice branch too.
In the mean time, you should change any passwords on the hacked device and also your bank and credit card accounts.
If you think the fraudster has gained access to your bank or other financial details, tell the company or bank those details relate to.
If you’ve been left out of pocket by a scammer, you might be in line for a refund.
If your bank refuses to offer a refund, you can try going to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
It is an independent body that settles disputes between consumers and financial businesses and is free to use.
It may be able to get your money back for you, although there are no guarantees.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
