Fake giveaways on social media

An account impersonating a creator says you’ve won a prize — you just need to pay for shipping. The checkout page stores your card for later charges.

What it looks like

Social DM · @giveaway.official.team

Congrats!! You were picked in the phone giveaway from the video you liked 🎉 Just cover $9 shipping here 👉

How it usually ends

The influencer video was AI-generated. The 'shipping' page stored your card and charged it again a week later.

Red flags

Account impersonates a verified creator
Payment page not linked to any shop
AI-generated video, no provenance

What to do

Real prizes don’t require you to pay.
Check the account’s history, not just its badge.
Report impersonation accounts to the platform.

Could you spot it in the moment?

In Painted Sky you’re born at random somewhere on Earth and live a whole life — and this scam is one of the fakes that can find you. Make the call yourself, then replay the same life with a lens that shows what was fake.

Play Painted Sky — free →