A critical-thinking guide to fake giveaways, scammy quizzes, and how your "fun" posts might be bleeding you dry Let’s set the scene. You're scrolling your feed, half-watching a Netflix show, and there it is a slick-looking post from a page that sort of looks official. It says “We’re giving away 5 brand new Phones to celebrate our anniversary! Just like, share, tag 3 friends, and click the link to claim your prize!”

Seems harmless, right?
It’s fun, it’s free, it’s easy.
But here’s the part you weren’t supposed to think about

You just did 80% of the hacker’s job for them.

Let’s use our brains for a second
The company misspelled their own name.
They’re offering €1000+ worth of tech for zero reason.
The page was created 3 weeks ago.
And yet, there are 4,300 shares and climbing.

Something’s not adding up. Because it isn’t a giveaway it’s bait. And the fish? That’s you.

What's Actually Happening? Here’s what most people don’t realise:

These fake giveaways aren’t always about the prize. Sometimes the prize is you.
Your email address, phone number, location, even answers to common security questions all harvested under the illusion of fun.

And when you click the link?

You might land on a page that looks like Amazon or Apple.

You might be asked to “confirm” your identity.

You might download spyware, adware, or worse open the gates for remote access.

And let’s not forget the virality factor. The more you share it, the more credible it looks to others which is exactly how these scams spread like wildfire.

But Wait, There’s More! Let’s Talk Quizzes…
You know the ones
“Which pizza topping are you based on your birth month?” “What’s your Viking name?” “Can we guess your age based on your favourite cartoon?”

All fun and games until you realise what they’re actually doing.

Data mining. Behavioural profiling. Password fishing.

You laugh when it says your Viking name is “Skullcrusher Von Tuna,” but behind the curtain, they’ve just learned:

Your birthday
Your pet’s name
Your favourite colour
Your past school
The city you grew up in
Now stop for a second: How many of those are your password reset questions?

See the trick?

Why This Works (and Why It’s So Dangerous)
Because it doesn’t feel like a threat.
It feels like a harmless game. It feels social. It feels normal.

And normal is the hacker’s dream.

No one’s thinking critically when they’re giggling at their result or excitedly tagging their friends in a giveaway. But while you’re playing someone else is studying you.

And sometimes? That data ends up for sale on the dark web before you even realise you gave it away.

Red Flags to Look Out For

Pages with recent creation dates
Too-good-to-be-true offers
Misspelled company names
Pressure to act right now
Links that redirect to strange domains
Any quiz asking personal life details

3 Things You Can Do Tonight
Google the giveaway. If it's real, it’ll be on the brand's verified page or website.

Audit your quiz history. See how many you’ve taken and what you gave away.

Tell your family. Especially teens and older relatives — this stuff targets everyone.

So what Really? If something is truly free, you’re probably the product.
You’re not paranoid you’re paying attention. And in today’s online world, that could be the difference between peace of mind and a nightmare inbox full of identity fraud alerts.
So next time you see a free iPhone giveaway pop up in your feed, don’t click.
Think.

And maybe laugh a little… because that Viking name? It’s still Skullcrusher Von Tuna — and now your password reset answer is toast.