Fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp messages have started to spread in the Czech Republic in recent days, which try to act as an official Škoda Auto competition. However, Mladoboleslavská automobilka does not hold any such competition now and warns users to be careful. They are at risk of misuse of sensitive personal data or even financial damage.
Anyone can become a victim of fraud, just click on the link in the message. It can even come from a family member or other trusted persons.
In this particular case, the link leads to a fake website that tries to give the user the impression that he has won a Škoda car. “In order to choose a prize, the site requires the person concerned to forward the link to the competition to twenty of his contacts in the WhatsApp application, which means that the fraudulent competition spreads very quickly,” points out Pavel Jína, press spokesman for the car company.
In fact, users are at risk of having malicious software installed on their devices when they view a fake contest page, or they may be asked to share personal information, including a payment card number. The automaker therefore warns recipients of fraudulent messages not to click on the link under any circumstances and to delete the message immediately.
“Our company has nothing to do with the fraudulent contests spread in recent days. This is a misuse of our brand for unfair practices, so we will file a criminal complaint,” says Škoda Auto marketing manager Libor Šedivák.
In the Czech Republic, this is far from the first case where fraudsters try to misuse the name of a well-known company in order to appear more trustworthy. Most often, they pretend to be banking institutions and try to lure people with access data to accounts and payment cards.
In any regular competition, the organizer does not require any payments from the player. In addition, in the Czech Republic it is expressly prohibited to ask contestants for payment for entering the contest or for increasing the chance of winning. No serious company even requires a payment card number when entering a competition. Likewise, it is a fraudulent act if the organizer of the “competition” requires any fees from the winner, for example for “sending the prize”.
“Škoda Auto will never ask anyone for their account number, payment card details, or social security number,” says Pavel Jína, noting that in case of suspicion of fraud, people can contact the car company via social networks, contact forms on the official website or the toll-free line 800 600 000.
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