Fake Giveaway and Promo Scams on WhatsApp and Facebook: How to Check if a Promo Is Real

Short answer: a message saying you have won, or that a brand is giving away cash, phones or data for its anniversary, is almost always fake if it asks you to click a link, share it with five groups, pay a fee or give your PIN. Real promotions are announced on the company's official website, app or verified social pages, and real prizes never require a payment. MTN Ghana, for example, has said it contacts winners only from its official line and never asks for money or airtime before a prize.

What fake giveaway messages look like

The brand names change, but the scripts are very familiar. Typical examples:

• "MTN anniversary promo: your number has won GH¢5,000. Call this number to claim."
• "Jumia is celebrating its anniversary. Spin the wheel to win a free phone. Share with 5 groups to claim."
• "Melcom is giving away GH¢2,000 gift cards to support Ghanaians. Click to redeem."
• "Shoprite Black Friday: free vouchers for the first 1,000 people."
• "Congratulations, you have been selected for a free 50GB data bundle."
• "You won the lottery. Pay 20% processing fee to release your winnings."

Fact-checkers have caught many of these. In May 2020, Dubawa Ghana found that a viral WhatsApp offer of Melcom gift cards worth GH¢600 and GH¢2,000 led to a domain that had nothing to do with Melcom, and Melcom said it had not issued the cards. Africa Check debunked a "spin and win" game for Jumia's anniversary that told people to forward it to five WhatsApp groups or 15 friends; Jumia said its promotions run on its own app, website and social pages. Africa Check also found a fake Shoprite "Black Friday Sale" link that Shoprite said was not linked to it. In July 2025, Dubawa found fake "stock-clearing" promo sites copying Jumia, Temu and Decathlon, all registered weeks earlier, selling a TV for about GH¢32 that costs GH¢5,499 on Jumia.

How the scam works

1. The hook. A message arrives from a friend or a group, using a famous brand's logo, colours and an anniversary or holiday as the excuse.
2. The quiz. You answer a few easy questions or spin a wheel. You always "win".
3. The share trick. To claim, you must share the link with five groups or 20 friends. This is how the scam spreads: your friends trust it because it came from you.
4. The payoff. The final page asks for your name, number, address, card details or a small "delivery fee". Or you are told to call a number, where someone asks for a "processing fee" by MoMo, your MoMo PIN, or a code that was just sent to your phone.

What the scammers get: money from fees, card or MoMo details, personal data they can sell or use for more scams, and sometimes your WhatsApp account. If you read out a six-digit WhatsApp code, they can take over your account and message all your contacts asking for money.

The "MTN promo" calls and texts

Fake MTN promotion messages are among the oldest scams in Ghana. When MTN Ghana ran its real MTN@25 promotion in 2021, it warned customers about fraudsters posing as middlemen. Its warnings over the years have repeated the same points:

• MTN contacts winners only from its official line, which it gave as 0244300000.
• MTN does not charge any money or airtime to take part in a promotion or redeem a prize.
• Prizes are not redeemed through third parties.
• Genuine promotions are listed on mtn.com.gh and MTN Ghana's official social media pages, and you can confirm with customer care on 100.

So a call from an ordinary 024, 054 or 059 number saying you won, then asking you to send MoMo, buy airtime or dial a code, is a scam. Hang up.

The same goes for data. In August 2025 the Cyber Security Authority said 63 people lost at least GH¢73,510 to mobile data bundle scams between January and July 2025, often by fraudsters posing as network staff or using fake promotions. It advised buying data only through official channels.

Lottery and "you won" messages

If you did not buy a ticket or enter a promotion, you cannot have won it. A lottery is a game of chance, so nobody can sell you "winning numbers". The National Lottery Authority has warned about fraudsters who send photos of fake winning coupons and ask victims for a share of the "winnings" before payment.

The FTC's rules for prize scams apply everywhere: if you have to pay to get your prize, it is a scam. If you have to give financial or personal information to claim, it is a scam. Messages about a foreign lottery are almost certainly from a scammer.

How to check if a promo is real

1. Do not click the link. Instead, open the company's official app or type its website address yourself.
2. Look for it on official pages. Check the brand's verified Facebook, Instagram or X account (look for the verification badge and a long history). Real promotions are usually announced there, with terms and conditions.
3. Check the web address. A real Jumia promotion is on jumia.com.gh, not on a strange domain with "jumia" somewhere in it. Free website builders, odd endings and long random strings are warnings.
4. Call the official customer line. Use the number on the company's website or the back of your SIM pack, not one in the message.
5. Search the claim. Search the brand name with "giveaway scam" or check fact-checkers like Dubawa and Africa Check.
6. Ask: what do they want from me? A fee, a share, a PIN, a code or card details means it is fake. A real promotion does not ask you to spread chain messages.

You can also paste the phone number or link into TrustCheck's checker to see if others have reported it.

Protect your WhatsApp and MoMo

• Turn on WhatsApp two-step verification: Settings, Account, Two-step verification. This stops someone using a stolen six-digit code alone to take your account.
• Never share your MoMo PIN or any code sent to your phone. Network staff will never ask for it.
• If a friend sends a giveaway, tell them it is fake. Their phone or account may have been used without them knowing.
• Report and block: open the chat, tap the contact name, then Report.

What to do if you already clicked or paid

1. If you entered card details, call your bank and block the card. If you sent MoMo or shared your PIN, call your network immediately and change your PIN.
2. If you gave a WhatsApp code, re-register WhatsApp on your phone with your number and turn on two-step verification. Warn your contacts.
3. Report to the Cyber Security Authority: call or text 292, WhatsApp 0501603111 or email report@csa.gov.gh. For larger losses, report to the Ghana Police Service too. In Nigeria, report to the police and the EFCC.
4. Delete the message and tell the group where you saw it.

Then check a number, handle or website before trusting the next "promo", and report it so others are warned. For more, read how to check if a number is a scam and how to report a scam in Ghana.