Watchmen, a reputation protection service under Gogolook, pointed out that fake book giveaway scams targeting book lovers have become a new type of fraud this year, especially spreading widely on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, with the aim of stealing people's personal information.
Watchmen has released a list of the top ten most commonly faked book giveaways by scammers, reminding the public to remain vigilant when participating in online giveaways and beware of falling into scam traps.
Fraud rings often impersonate celebrities, publishers, or educational institutions to launch so-called "free book giveaways." Victims who click on social media ads are often redirected to convincing phishing websites where they are instructed to fill out personal information—name, phone number, address, and even credit card number—in order to receive the "free book." This information is then used to impersonate others or even sold on the black market, resulting in significant losses for victims.
According to Watchmen, fraud rings have meticulously selected bestsellers, with the top ten most commonly stolen titles being "Puppy Money," "Think and Grow Rich," "Chips War," "The Munger Way," "Diary of a CEO," "Making Money and Happiness," "The Current," "Contrarian Thinking," "Hidden Potential," and "Rich Dad Poor Dad." Investment and financial management titles dominate the list, followed by growth mindset books.
Lin Shuli, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau's Prevention Division, shared, "Fraud syndicates are flooding online advertising platforms with fraudulent advertisements, including those promoting investments and impersonating celebrities to give away books. This not only confuses the public but also causes significant distress to individuals in the political, business, and financial sectors. Free giveaways are particularly attractive to the elderly and students, and we urge the public to think twice before submitting personal information online. Online advertising platform operators should strictly review advertisements and cooperate with government agencies to combat fraud. This will prevent the proliferation of illegal advertising, or they will face hefty fines."
Watchmen warns that while books may hold their own treasures, the "fake gold" found online often carries hidden risks. Raising awareness of fraud and rejecting the temptation to get a bargain are the best ways to protect yourself. Watchmen also offers three key recommendations:
• Verify the authenticity of the source: When you receive information about a book or gift giveaway, please verify it through the brand’s official website or official certified account.
• Avoid providing sensitive information: If you are required to fill in personal information, please confirm whether it is necessary and do not submit sensitive information such as credit card or ID card.
• Take advantage of Whoscall's new free fraud prevention feature: With Whoscall's AI-powered scam message checker, upload a screenshot of a suspicious book giveaway and quickly check suspicious text messages, websites, or phone calls against a fraud database or similar scam patterns to avoid falling prey. Additionally, users can enable Whoscall's automatic website checker, which instantly alerts users if they stray into a suspicious website.
