WhatsApp users warned over Father’s Day Heineken beer scam

WhatsApp users are being warned about a scam message offering people the chance to win “free crates of beer” for Father’s Day.

The scam promotes a “Heineken Beer Father’s Day Contest 2022” and says “5,000 coolers full of Heineken beers’ are available to claim.

The message includes an image of a pack of Heineken beers.

It appears to be from a contact and includes a link to click through to the beer company’s website to enter the competition.

However, clicking on the link runs the risk of exposure to phishing scams, spam and malicious websites which could potentially steal personal information.

Heineken posted a message on Twitter, saying: “This is a scam. Thank you for highlighting it to us. Please don’t click on links or forward any messages. Many thanks.”

A WhatsApp spokeswoman said: “WhatsApp protects our users’ personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but 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. And if you receive a suspicious message, we encourage users to report the message to us so we can review it for spam or abuse.”

Adam French, Which? consumer rights spokesman, said: “Unscrupulous fraudsters will use every trick in the book to try and get victims to hand over their money and sensitive personal information, so people should be wary of suspicious WhatsApp messages about Father’s Day.

“Treat messages about competitions that come out of the blue with caution. If you have clicked on a suspicious link and think you may have given your details away to a scammer, you should contact your bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud, or the police if you live in Scotland.”