Sadly, Shell Is Not Giving Away $100 Gas Cards on Facebook

Seeing how a lot of us are paying over $3/gallon for gas, it’s no real surprise that we’d jump at the opportunity to claim a $100 Shell gas card.

I hate to break it to you, but the free $100 Shell gas card offer is nothing more than a front for the latest survey scam to hit our favorite social networking site.

The survey scam starts off by luring in unsuspecting users with Wall posts similar to this one:

 

Free $100.00 Shell Gas Card!! (limited time only)
freeshellgas.blogspot.com
Shell is currently giving away $100.00 gas cards to all facebook users!!

Take note that survey scam artists typically use multiple domains to minimize the chance of their scam being blocked by Facebook’s built-in security filters that block troublesome URLs.

Upon clicking the link, you will be taken to a page that requests you help attract additional victims by posting the offer to your Facebook Wall and like the page. This allows the survey scam to quickly spread across Facebook and reach as many users as possible.

After doing so, you will be redirected to a completely different site (top10giftsrewards.com) that will ask for your email address.

If you’re one to skip over the fine print, now would be a good time to pick up on the habit of reading it before blindly accepting an offer. The huge block of text at the bottom of the page clearly states what you’re required to do in order to receive your “reward”:

4) Complete the following reward offers: 2 Silver, 2 Gold, an 2 Platinum offers (Available reward offers will vary. Some reward offers require a purchase. Credit card offers may require you to activate the card by marking a purchase, transferring a balance or taking a cash advance.)

That sure sounds expensive for something that’s supposed to be “FREE”.

How to Deal with the $100 Shell Gas Card Scam on Facebook

If you fell for this scam:

1. Remove the Wall post and page like history from your profile and news feed.


2. Replace the scam advertisements with a warning to your Facebook friends not to fall for this scam.


3. If you provided personal information: Be on the lookout for additional scams and/or spam that may be sent to you via email, snail mail, or even by telephone. Closely monitor your cellphone bill for suspicious charges as scammers have been known to sign their victims up for expensive SMS subscription services and watch out for any signs of identity fraud.

If you see a friend posting this scam, let them know it’s a scam and advise them to complete steps 1-3.

Cybercriminals are fond of launching survey scam campaigns on Facebook due to the easy cash flow (they're paid for completed surveys) and the site’s insane marketing potential.

Always remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

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