Scams
Security firm CTM360 is flagging a wave of fake giveaways that copy brands like PlayStation, Amazon and SHEIN, sometimes with a fake “endorsement” from a creator like MrBeast. You pick a gift-card value, watch a code pretend to generate, then get stuck in endless “verification” — surveys, app installs and a sign-up asking for your mobile number and a one-time code. No card ever arrives: every step you finish earns the scammers commission, and that sign-up can quietly start a paid subscription billed to your phone.
The move
If a “free” reward keeps sending you through more “verification”, surveys or app installs, or wants you to sign up to a subscription that has nothing to do with the prize, close it. Never type a code texted to your phone into a reward page you reached from an ad or post. Want a brand’s actual promo? Go to their own site or app yourself. Already typed one in? Tell whoever pays your phone bill so they can check it for new charges.
Practise it: Swipe to Survive →
For teachers
Talking about this in class
A quick way in: describe how this con fakes legitimacy — the real brand’s logo, a countdown timer, “recent winner” testimonials, a live participant count, and a code that appears half-hidden (XXXX-XXXX-7F3A-XXXX) so it feels real. Ask the class what each of those is actually there to do. A good answer spots that none of it is proof; it’s all set dressing to keep you clicking.
The misconception worth tackling: “I’d know it was fake.” These pages are deliberately slick, and the pressure (timers, “you’re so close”) is there to stop you pausing to think. The habit to land is simple: a reward you have to “unlock” by completing endless tasks, signing up to an unrelated subscription, or typing a texted code into a page you reached from an ad isn’t a reward — it’s the trap. Go direct to the brand’s own site instead of trusting an ad or post.
For a no-prep starter, run a quick vote on what a genuine giveaway would and wouldn’t ask for. Or use Swipe to Survive, where students sort scam messages from real ones by the pressure and what each one asks for, whether that’s a fee, a login or a code.
If a student says they’ve already been through one of these: they’re not in trouble and it’s not their fault. If they gave a phone number and a code, suggest they tell whoever pays the phone bill, who can check it for a new subscription and ask the mobile provider to cancel it and block premium-rate charges. Then follow your school’s usual process for passing on a concern.