Fact Check
The Facebook posts promised $750 prizes in Cash App and used specific wording we've seen before from foreign scammers.
Jordan Liles
Published June 9, 2022
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Claim:
Nikki Haley, Snoop Dogg, Paula Deen, and other people from the entertainment and politics world are giving away $750 prizes in the Cash App finance app.
Fact Check
Facebook giveaways that promise $750 or other large cash prizes in the Cash App finance app are just about always going to be scams. We found at least three such Cash App scam giveaways in early June 2022 that claimed multiple $750 prizes were being given away by former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, rapper Snoop Dogg, and celebrity chef Paula Deen.
The pages for Haley, Snoop Dogg, and Deen all used both their image and likeness without their permission, and appeared like this:
All of the pages that promised $750 in Cash App also used specific wording that we'd seen before with other scams that appeared to involve scammers from outside the U.S. We removed the scammers' website link from the example text below:
CONGRATULATIONS for those of you who have received comments from me have been selected as winners
Step 1 = Like and Share
Step 2 = Coments "DONE"
Step 3 = Register here (link removed) receive my prize. And the Gift will be sent after you successfully register (this is authentic and official) God bless you
Good Luck
The links in these Facebook giveaways all led to survey scam websites. The Facebook posts appeared to be created by people acting as affiliate marketers who were trying to earn money by driving traffic to survey scam websites. We found affiliate ID numbers in the full website addresses that resulted from the Facebook posts.
It might be possible to take part in a large number of surveys on these scam websites and end up receiving something in return. However, such survey websites often require that users jump through various hoops in order to do so, all of which are usually spelled out in the fine print on terms and conditions pages. For the number of hours and the concentration that would be needed to obtain any sort of reward, we recommend that our readers don't waste their time.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the U.S. Better Business Bureau (BBB) both published pages with advice on how to avoid survey scams and what to look out for. Basically, proceed with caution before taking a survey on an unfamiliar website. Some of these websites will ask users to sign up for free trials of various products that, in reality, will charge them a recurring fee in the future. Also, bear in mind that if the reward sounds too good to be true (like $750 in Cash App), it probably is.
In sum, no, Haley, Snoop Dogg, and Deen were not giving away $750, or any other amount of prizes, in Facebook giveaways in Cash App, nor were any other noteworthy figures from the world of entertainment or politics.
If readers see any other Facebook giveaway scams like these, please contact us with details. If possible, include a link to the post or the Facebook page.
Sources
“BBB Tip: How to Identify a Fake Website.” International Association of Better Business Bureaus, https://www.bbb.org/all/spot-a-scam/signs-of-a-fake-survey.
“Beware of Survey Scams That Require Personal Information.” AARP, https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2021/survey.html.
By Jordan Liles
Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.
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Article Tags
ScamsFacebookCash AppSnoop DoggPaula DeenNikki Haley
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