It is a scam and the company states that it is “false information”
To the WhatsApp chatbot of Maldita.es (+34 644229319) have asked about some Facebook publications that say that Mercadona will go over August 3. The contents are accompanied by links that invite you to join an alleged community of investors in exchange for facilitating Personal data such as email or phone number. But it is a Timo: Mercadona has assured Maldita. It is that “it is false information” and that “it is a fraud”.
The content that circulates is part of an attempt to Phishing: a technique used for supplant the identity of companies such as Mercadona and obtain personal data or banking. In its official Facebook profile the company published a notice warning of it.
Publications supplant Mercadona’s identity through profiles that are not linked to the company. In one of the cases, a form is linked that promises exclusive information about the alleged outlet and ensures that “The first 500 investors will receive free shares valued at 30 euros”. Regardless of the initial response, the form ends up asking for user email and promises that the community is safe, verified by Facebook and non -commercial purposes. In the end, the link leads to a page that does not work.
Another similar case appears on a page of Facebook called The economist Olthat supplants a Mexican media of the same name. In this case, instead of the email, the user’s phone number is requested. But the Phishing dynamics is identical.
To protect yourself against this type of scams, It is important to verify that the pages and profiles from which the information is shared are official and look good at the web direction to which the links redirect. If the URL is formed by a mixture of letters, numbers or does not belong clearly to the aforementioned company, do not introduce your data.
It is also recommended to distrust messages that transmit urgency or promises of immediate benefits. Before facilitating personal data, it is convenient to contrast the information with the company itself or with organizations such as the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), which offers help in these cases.
If someone has facilitated their data in this type of pages, the steps to follow are: to collect evidence of deception and denounce before the National Police or Civil Guard, check if their data is being used through Egosurfingand contact your banking entity if you have shared financial information.
