This is spreading fast
Whatsapp might seem like good fun with all the great group chats you have, but sometimes it can lead to something more sinister.
A fake giveaway offering free Alton Towers tickets is spreading around the messaging service, with users complaining of receiving a torrent of spam messages linking through to malicious sites.
“Alton Towers is giving away 5 free tickets to 500 families,” reads the fraudulent text.
“We’re giving 5 free passes to 500 families to celebrate our 110nd birthday!” another.
The dead giveaway that it’s dodgy is the spelling and grammar because, as you’re probably aware, ‘110nd’ isn’t how it should read.
WhatsApp users who’ve received the message have been sharing the text with others on Twitter.
@altontowers scam or not? pic.twitter.com/xgghGciTDx
— Vicky (@msvferg) June 6, 2018
#AltonTowers are warning guests of a ticket scam circulating on WhatsApp, where users are being contacted offering them free tickets. Alton Towers are currently taking the necessary actions to remove the offer. pic.twitter.com/fE9MTO8tv3
— Ministry of Joy (@ministryofjoy) June 7, 2018
@altontowers anyone else getting loads of WhatsApp messages about this? pic.twitter.com/9fxbcahI2c
— nicky (@njw_0912) June 5, 2018
@altontowers hello! Just had a message from a friend, looks like a spam website you might want to be aware of. There's a dot over the "o". It seems to send it on to all your WhatsApp contacts: pic.twitter.com/6KWxA1Ofxa
— Tom Rushton (@TomRushton) June 5, 2018
“We are aware of a ticket offer being shared on social media that claims to be from Alton Towers Resort,” a spokesperson for Alton Towers told The BBC.
“This is not a genuine offer, or in any way affiliated with Alton Towers.”
