There’s a Whatsapp scam text claiming to offer free Heineken beer for Father’s Day

The fraudulent contest claims to offer free beer but it’s been set up by scammers

People are being warned about a scam which claims to offer free Heineken for themselves and their dad ahead of .

The fake offer is being used in phishing and scamming and has been set up by cybercriminals to lure unsuspecting victims into traps that claim to offer vouchers - but then steal their personal information.

So, what does the text look like and what should you do if you get it?

What is the scam?

The scam claims to offer people the chance to win a cooler of beer in time for Father’s Day, which this year falls on Sunday 19 June.

The fake offer tricks potential victims into visiting phishing, spam, and malicious websites that have the potential to steal a person’s personal information and account credentials.

What does the scam look like?

The scam will usually appear as a message on Whatsapp, and will seemingly come from a friend or contact - but be aware it is not from someone you know at all.

There will be a ‘tinyurl’ link, which will feature alongside an image of an 18 bottle Heineken ‘coolerpack’.

Underneath the image and headline will be the sentence "5,000 coolers full of Heineken for you Dad", and then a link which claims to be to the beer giant’s official website "heineken.com."

What have Heineken said?

The beer manufacturer also revealed at the time that it had been reported to Action Fraud.

Heineken has not commented at the time of writing on this new scam.

What has Whatsapp said?

has not responded to the individual scam, however, the messaging company launched its “Stop. Think. Call.” campaign in November 2021.

This was following a sharp increase in , and aims to educate people on how to protect themselves and their WhatsApp account from these frauds.

What should I do if I get the text?

You should then report the text to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or using their online reporting form.