SCAM ALERT: Consumer Protection warns fake sky lantern festivals lighting up WA residents’ social media
Imagine: Tickets for an appointment night with a special person, dressed and ready to enjoy a beautiful lantern screen in Kings Park – just to discover that you are defrauded.
This is the truth that some WA residents face, because consumer guards publish a warning on fake activity advertisements that spread like a fire on social media.
Sponsored ads encourages the ‘Sky Lantern Activities’, where participants publish paper lanterns on the sky in Kings Park or Langley Park, but both parks say that such an event is not planned or not approved.
Social Media Publications encourage WA natives to buy event tickets for about $ 50 through a fake website; Here it will encourage individuals to enter personal details and pay on credit cards.
Consumer Protection Commissioner Trish Blake has reported an increased number of reports from victims who pay to participate in false events, and people may not be sacrificed.
“If scammers make some dates popular by marking some dates as ‘sold’, they know that people are more likely to hurry to buy tickets,” Blake said.
“A red flag is the claim that tickets and exact position will be given by some websites only 48 hours before the activity – this is not a very unusual and standard application for legitimate tickets.
“Since the events are announced for future dates, many consumers may not notice that they have been defrauded until they are too late – even when they arrive at the place waiting for the event to take place.
With the consumer protection, a series of red flags appeared to be more examined by the ads and websites of the counterfeit activity, suspicious spelling errors of Australian locations, and a domain name is connected to both a US address and the UK phone number.
A social media advertisement discovered by consumer protection even used images produced by AI to advertise the fake event.
Three fake websites, AU Skylight Event, Lantern Fest Australia and Sky Dreams Australia – have already been removed by SCAMNET WA, but new websites continue to be published by scammers in their places.
‘Sky Lantern’ events are not allowed to take place anywhere in Australia due to the country’s federal laws.
The release of open flame lanterns in the country is illegal and because of the danger they give to the Australian Flora and Fauna.
Frauds are known for their ability to skirt around the laws, but new social media publications advertise their lantern events to include lanler micro -leadership bulbs made of recycled plastic -destroyed plastic ”and even synchronized drones.
Mrs. Clark warns residents to stay awake when buying tickets for any event advertised on social media.
“Before entering any financial or personal information online, it is important to verify the legitimacy of the website and operator, regardless of how professional the site can appear,” he said.
“Check the website and how long it has been using the ICANN record data search tool-site is new or hidden, it is best to stay away.”
People can report online deception. WA SCAMNET website.
