If you’ve seen a Lowe’s $6000 Giveaway on Facebook, know that it is a scam. Please don’t Like it, don’t Share it. If possible, report it to Facebook, and then don’t interact with that Giveaway Page any further.

How do I know it’s a scam? There’s a few details to look out for. First, visit the *real* Lowe’s Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/lowes

Next to the Lowe’s name on that page, you’ll see a blue badge that states that this is a verified, authentic business page. This means Facebook has checked the identity of this page to make sure it’s not an impostor. You’ll see those all over Facebook for big-name companies, but you won’t see that badge when you go to the “Lowe’s Giveaway” page.

Also consider: the true Lowe’s Facebook Page has 4.6M Likes. The fake-Lowe’s Facebook Page has 13,000.

The real Lowe’s Facebook page was created in 2009, but the scammer’s page was created yesterday. The fake page will probably be taken down in a day or so, too, but Facebook is usually slow on the uptake. The scammers will have enough time to hurt some people and make some illicit gains, I am sorry to say.

Here’s what’s so bad about this type of scam:

When you click Like on something on Facebook, it is then promoted to your Friends. Your connections on Facebook are likely going to see “John Doe Liked the Lowe’s $6000 Giveaway” and they may visit the scam and click Like. And then their connections will see what they Liked and they may visit the scam… In essence, every click on a Facebook Page helps it go viral.

Next, here are some directions the scam may go:

1) A person running the promotion contacts you over FB Messenger to say that you’ve won! But first they need your name, address, DOB, and driver’s license info, credit card #. They claim you cannot claim your prize unless you comply, and this is all done to verify who you are.

2) Someone messages you to say that you’ve won and the prize is on its way! “We just need your address… and a prize claim fee of $49.95.” They tell you to send the money through Western Union or a Moneygram at your local 7-11 store, or obtain a gift card and read them the number from the back…

3) The Page manager contacts you, asking for your email, so that he can send you an official Winner document. You have to fill it out to claim your prize. But when you receive the attachment, it asks to install something on your computer.

The 1st example can lead to identity theft. The 2nd is a quick way to take untraceable money from you (and they’ll probably contact lots of people with this line, not just one lucky winner). And the 3rd is a common method of making people install malware on their computers.

There is no $6000 Giveaway, no one will win anything from this! If you’ve interacted with this or any other Facebook scam Page, please: Unlike the Page or posts, delete any Shares you’ve made and report the Page to Facebook. Facebook might move faster to address the scam if it receives a higher volume of reports about it.

Last year, this scam was a chance at a free RV from a big mid-west company. Next month, it could be free Starbucks coffee for a year or government loan forgiveness. This sort of scam will keep happening on Facebook, a different bait each time. But the tactics and telltales will be the same. Stay dubious, my friends!