DETROIT – It’s likely something you do without even thinking about it, but the type of post you “Like” on Facebook could set you up to be the victim of a con.
You may have seen a Facebook post that claimed a free Jayco RV would be given away to someone who shares and comments on the post -- or you’ve seen posts similar to it.
RELATED: Better Business Bureau warns consumers of ‘going out of business’ online shopping scam
Melanie Duguesnel, with the Better Business Bureau, said that by liking the page, you’re potentially giving your personal information away.
"Now they can start to track you and or potentially get more information than you would normally provide because, ‘Hey, I could get $100,000 RV and get away from COVID,’ Duguesnel said.
The BBB is warning people that “Like Farming” scams are still going strong.
READ: Scammers use multiple methods to target victims -- Here’s what to watch out for
Duguesnel said the BBB had contacted local RV dealers and asked if they heard of the company allegedly giving away the RV and they said now.
“So we started to peel back the layers and look a little bit harder at it,” Duguesnel said. “And actually, other Better Business Bureaus across country also did the same thing and realize that there was no such site that was going to give away an RV.”
With “Like Farming," scam artists use an eye-catching post to get a lot of Likes and Shares. They’ll give you an emotional reason to click Like and Share. Posts can include cute animals, sick children and the promise of winning something big.
Once they get enough Likes or Shares, they can edit the post and add a weblink that downloads malware on your computer or they’ll sell the Page to the black market.
The free RV scam is so popular that Jayco has a post pinned to the top of its Facebook page to let people know they aren’t running a giveaway.
READ: More scam coverage
To prevent from falling for these scams, use your good judgement and don’t “Like” every post on your feed -- that’s what scammers are hoping you’ll do.
Never share personal information to a person or company you don’t know or trust and update your web browser so if you accidentally click on a scammer’s post, it’s more likely to warn you of the suspicious website. You can check the latest versions of some of the most popular browsers in the links below.