WhatsApp: Beware of the “Obi summer giveaway”

• The link to an alleged OBI competition is currently being shared frequently on WhatsApp.
• This is a fake.
• Cyber ​​criminals try to lure you into a trap.

Cyber ​​criminals are once again up to mischief on WhatsApp. They take advantage of the barbecue season and advertise a competition called “Obi Summer Giveaway”, which is said to be organized by the DIY chain OBI. You can win one of 5,000 gas grills. But it is a fake.

This is reported unanimously by Antenne Thüringen and the website Biallo.de. As early as May 2022, a fake OBI sweepstakes was circulating on the occasion of Father’s Day. The hardware store expressly warned of this on Facebook and explained that it only advertises its competitions via the official social media channels and the website, but not via WhatsApp.

The link to the competition should also make you suspicious. Because this does not lead to the OBI website, but usually begins with “Tinyurl5.ru”. A fake Coca-Cola lottery was recently distributed via WhatsApp via such a link. This lured you into a subscription trap.

This is what threatens you if you participate

It is not known what the unknown people behind this fraud attempt intend to do. As a rule, personal data is requested from you in such fake sweepstakes, which is then resold.

But it can also happen that you are asked to install an app and your smartphone is infected with malware or, as in the case of the Coca-Cola sweepstakes, you unknowingly take out an expensive subscription. So don’t click on the link. Virus protection should also be used on Android phones.

Incidentally, it is not the first time that such a fake competition has been circulating on WhatsApp. Before Easter, a fake Milka sweepstakes made the rounds.

You can find out how to recognize fake or dubious sweepstakes in the linked article.

You might also be interested in this…