Dosh dilemma: Polly’s dream giveaway or costly scam?

Polly is scrolling through Instagram when some exciting news pops up.

Her favourite influencer is giving away the latest smartphone to celebrate reaching a million followers.

Better still, Polly receives a message saying she's one of the lucky winners.

There's just one small catch.

To ‘verify her identity’ and arrange delivery, she needs to enter her debit card details. The message says she won't be charged, it's simply to prove she's a real person.

It's only a few minutes' work, and the phone is worth hundreds of pounds.

Should Polly go for it?

In one word Polly – ‘no’!

As tempting as it sounds, this is almost certainly a scam.

Fraudsters often pretend to be celebrities, influencers or well-known brands to trick people into handing over their bank or card details.

They know that the excitement of winning a prize can make people act quickly without stopping to think.

Here's the golden rule

A genuine giveaway should never ask for your debit or credit card details just to claim a prize.

If you've really won something, you might be asked for your name, address or contact details so the prize can be delivered.

But you should never have to:

• enter your card details to ‘verify’ your identity
• pay a delivery, processing or administration fee
• send money to release your prize

If someone asks for any of these, it's a major red flag.

How to spot a fake giveaway

Before clicking on anything, ask yourself:

• Is the account verified and genuine?
• Does the message create a sense of urgency, telling you to act now?
• Are you being asked for payment or bank details?
• Does the link take you away from the influencer's official website?

If the answer to any of these is yes, it's worth taking a step back.

What should Polly do instead?

Rather than clicking the link, Polly should:

• visit the influencer's official social media page to see if the giveaway is genuine
• check whether the competition is also listed on their official website
• report the message to the Advertising Standards Authority, Report Fraud, and the social platform the post appeared on ⁠
• never enter her card details unless she's making a purchase from a trusted retailer

Winning a prize should leave you feeling happy, not worrying about your bank balance.

If someone says you've won but asks for your card details or a payment first, it's almost certainly a scam.

When it comes to giveaways, remember this simple rule:

If you have to pay to claim your prize, it's probably no prize at all.