Scam alert: Honda giveaway! This Honda scooter giveaway is not a scam I’m ever going to fall for. I’m not being arrogant or smug. We’re all potentially vulnerable to scams and I am no exception, but I’m never going to fall for this one, because I simply wouldn’t be interested in winning a scooter.
Back in the day you might well have caught me flitting around town on a scooter, but that was then and this is now, and sadly it’s just not a good lifestyle fit for me. However, I did google the Activa 5G model to see whether I would be tempted, but although it’s got nice retro styling, one of the colours it comes in is a lovely shiny red and I must admit it looks pretty chic, I wasn’t.
Sounds off
What I did discover from Google, though, was that the Activa 5G is available in four variants – in India. I might be wrong, but as far as I could see you can’t buy one in any other country and that set an alarm bell ringing for me. I mean, why would Honda be offering a model that only appears to be on sale in India in a prize promotion that is currently circulating on Facebook and also WhatsApp in the UK? Of course, I’m aware that large multi-nationals do run international promotions – Prizeology works on them – but nonetheless it seems slightly odd.
This promotion, in which 372 of these scooters are being given away, is allegedly in celebration of Honda’s 72nd birthday. Google also takes me to Wikipedia, which tells me that Honda was officially incorporated in 1948, so it is indeed 72 in 2020, but again, although marking milestones that aren’t particularly ‘significant’ is not unheard of, it still seems a slightly odd anniversary to toot your horn so loudly about.
Checking the Honda UK website I can find no mention of birthday partying and no mention of the Activa 5G promotion. That in itself isn’t cast iron evidence that this is a scam, as not all companies choose to publicise their promotions on their corporate websites, but it’s another warning sign.
Don’t be taken for a ride
So it’s a fake prize draw. If you click on the post – and I strongly advise you not to – you’ll be redirected to a scam website that in one nefarious way another will attempt to steal personal and financial information from you.
Apparently one of the destinations in this instance is a scam website which tries to persuade you to sign up to a free video streaming service. It asks for your credit card details, supposedly so it can ‘verify’ your account. That’s a fairly common model for sites offering, say, a month’s free access, but surely it’s unnecessary for a service that’s completely free?
Having clicked through and given their credit card details, there have been further reports victims of this scam have subsequently been charged for ‘premium’ services, which the card owners have not authorised.
Evasive action
If you’ve already done this, I suggest you contact your bank and cancel your card immediately, but the best advice I can be offer is to stay scam-aware, make sure you spot the signs and don’t let yourself be deceived. It’s a diverting fantasy, but is just that – a fantasy – because you’re never going to take delivery of one of those Honda scooters.
Prizeology is absolutely committed to raising awareness of fake prize promotions and scams. This scam alert about the Honda giveaway is one of many posts on our blog that keep you up to date on scams currently doing the rounds on the internet and social media.
Prizeology only ever runs prize promotions that are legally compliant so if you’d like Prizeology to run a compliant promotion for you, get in touch.
Sarah Burns is Prizeology’s Chief Prizeologist and a National Trading Standards Scams Team Scambassador.
