In recent weeks it seems that the so-called 2 euro scam, which consists in offering users the purchase of technological products for just 2 euros (or, sometimes, in other “variants” characterized by highly and unjustifiably discounted prices). To defend yourself, you need to pay attention to some details that unequivocally differentiate authentic adverts from fraudulent ones.
What does the 2 euro scam on Facebook and Instagram consist of?
The modus operandi with which the 2 euro scam is perpetrated is conceptually very simple: scammers create fake social pages very similar to the official ones of consumer electronics chains well-known and established (e.g MediaWorld, Unieuro, Euronicsetc.) by offering users “amazing” deals, which usually consist in the purchase of technological products with a nominal value of hundreds of euros, heavily discounted and obtainable for just 2 euros (or, in other versions of the scam, for a little more ).
Naturally, if the user takes the bait, for example by clicking on the links and providing payment details or, in any case, personal data, the scam has in fact achieved its objective: to extract money from the unfortunate victim and/or steal his personal data (perhaps to resell them on the Dark Web).
How to recognize the 2 euro scam on Facebook and Instagram
Recognize the 2 euro scam on Facebook and InstagramHowever, it is not at all complicated: you just need to pay a little attention slag posts made by bad actors. Here are some elements that could be included in the hypothetical identikit of a post-scam event, also highlighted in the screenshot at the bottom.
- The post has a sensationalist tone: if you notice the presence of many exclamation points in the text of the post and the excessive use of sensational terms, such as “huge discounts”, “take advantage of the latest product
- The post contains syntactical or grammatical errors: sometimes scammers could create the message in one language (for example English) and translate it into many others (even Italian) without paying attention to the possible syntactic and grammatical errors that are often made by online translators.
- The page or account is not verified: the “blue check” on a company's Facebook page or Instagram account serves to certify to the community that it is a verified account. In the absence of this small (but significant) detail it is practically certain that you are dealing with a fake account.
- The advertised products are discounted for no valid reason: Since no one gives anything to anyoneif an offer is too good to be true… it's definitely not true!
- The posts have comments from suspicious accounts: to make the announcement seem more credible, scammers could create fake accounts (usually characterized by “suspicious” names) with which they comment on the posts made. If the comments in question also have sensationalist tones, they are likely to be false.
If you should come across ads similar to those we have described, as well as do not click on the links that these contain would be wise report the post and the related account to the platform who published it, so that appropriate action can be taken.
