Do not fall for a scam relating to a ‘gift’ Decathlon tent in France
It is being spread via a Facebook post that invites users to take part in ‘a simple competition’...
The scam is being shared on Facebook under the Decathlon brand
Pungu x/Shutterstock
Shoppers in France are being warned to stay alert to a new Facebook scam that pretends to offer users the chance to “win a Decathlon tent”.
Instead of entering shoppers into a genuine competition or deal, the scammers take victims’ bank details and use them later for other criminal purposes.
The scam, which appears as a post on Facebook with the Decathlon branding, promises users that all they have to do is answer some questions and enter their details, and if they ‘win’, a free tent will be dispatched “in just three days”.
Users click on the link, and are then invited to answer questions and enter their details. They then click on one of the small gift packs to choose from, which include the tent, and - surprise! - everyone who clicks is a ‘winner’.
The fraudulent site then asks ‘winners’ to fill in their bank details, which - the site promises - will only be used to pay for the €1 “delivery charges” to enable the winner to receive their tent.
In reality, the item will never arrive, and the criminals will store your details for future use, which will probably see much more than €1 being taken from your bank account.
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How can I avoid falling victim to the scam?
Stay alert to scams, and beware sites that promise something for “free” out of nowhere, particularly those that ask for bank details.
To avoid being taken in, do not click on any links that could be suspicious.
Similarly, when you open any webpage, check the URL carefully, and pay attention to the spelling (which could look very similar, but not identical, to the real page). For example, the site could be a combination of the real address, plus something else, e.g. ‘Decathlon-fr.com’ instead of the genuine ‘Decathlon.fr’.
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If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, call your bank, and report it to this government website.
You can also report the scam (even if you did not fall victim) on the government website THESEE, through the government information page Service-public.fr, where you will be asked to tick the description which applies to their situation, and follow the steps to report the fraud.
Read also: France launches new online platform for reporting internet scams
A growing problem
In 2023, le service statistique en charge de la sécurité intérieure (interior security service, SSMSI) found that there were 411,700 victims of payment fraud in France. This shows a sharp rise from previous figures collected by the Interior Ministry in 2016, which showed 250,000 victims that year.
