“Free” Airline Tickets Lure Facebook Users


Facebook users who respond to an offer for free airlines tickets are in for a crash landing. The scam starts with a link in the user’s News Feed which claims that free tickets are available for Southwest Airlines. People who click on the link are taken to a phony marketing survey that exposes their computer to malware, but delivers no tickets or vouchers.

Common sense says if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But the magic word “free” can sometimes cause people to click a link just to see what lies on the other end. Bad move. One click on the wrong link can damage your computer and put your personal information at risk. Fight the urge to click on suspicious offers, no matter how tempting they sound.

If you spot a scam, report it to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or filing a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov.

This message brought to you on behalf of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.