Fact check: That "Emirates Ramadan gift" of Dh8000 cash giveaway is fake; beware of viral scam

Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates has often been used by scammers to extract personal and financial information from internet users. Here's another one promising to offer Dh8,000. It's fake.

The perils of the internet are well documented. On one hand, if the internet brings convenience, it has its dangers on the other hand. This time, Emirates, a well-known name in the civil aviation industry worldwide is being used to dupe unsuspecting internet users and how.

Taking cognisance of the viral phishing scam, Dubai's flagship carrier has issued warning on the fake online promo offer of Dh8,000. Here's everything to know about it.

The claim

Social media and WhatsApp groups are buzzing with a link to a website offering Dh8,000 as a "Emirates Ramadan gift" in the form of cash after participating in an online quiz competition. When the user visits the website, which has the Emirates logo everywhere possible, a set of questions are presented with multiple options.

After answering the questionnaire, the website redirects to a page asking the participant to share the promotion with five groups or 20 friends and then enter their address to "deliver gifts within 5 to 7 days."

Due to the nature of this quiz, which is extremely easy, and the requirement to forward it to multiple persons, it is going viral.

Fact check

International Business Times took cognizance of the viral promotion doing the rounds on social media and messaging groups, only to find that it is fake. Not only is the website used for the promo fake, but chances are it is also malicious.

The nature of the questions, the requirement to spam other people with the link to the promotion, and having to enter the address are all red flags. Scammers not only get access to your personal information, but also use your identity trust to trick others into believing that this is the real deal. It's not.

Emirates has warned people against participating in unofficial promotions and confirmed that it is not running any such cash giveaway campaigns.

"Emirates is aware that there are online promotions circulating regarding cash giveaways during Ramadan. This is not an official promotion and we advise caution. All Emirates' authorised content is hosted on our official channels, including our social media accounts marked with a blue tick," an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement.

Hence, International Business Times has arrived at the conclusion that the online cash giveaway of Dh 8,000 by Emirates, as tempting as it may seem, is fake.