21st June 2020, Kathmandu
An unofficial OnePlus Nepal’s twitter handle has been collecting emails from the comment section as part of their giveaway. Clearly, it is an unauthorized act that is endangering the user’s email addresses.
The twitter handle has been collecting mail addresses in the name of International OnePlus 7 giveaway. Moreover, it is asking people to provide their personal email addresses in the comment section.
What’s worse is that many people are falling for the scam.
We could show the comments containing the personal email addresses of the users who chose to provide it for some reason. However, we choose not to do so.
The rules mentioned in the twitter post state that people have to retweet and comment down mail addresses. In fact, this post has gained significant retweets and comments as well.
Meanwhile, some users were careful enough to protest and ask for valid reasons.
On June 20 (a day after the initial post), the twitter handle asked not to provide email addresses in the comment section.
And oh, did you notice something unusual or rather funny?
Well, look closely!
The last hashtag on the post, #besar. At least, they know what’s trending in Nepal.
Coming back to the scam, OnePlus Nepal doesn’t have a verified account on Twitter. It only has a verified Facebook account through which it wrote:
So, it turned out to be a big fat scam!
OnePlus Nepal also asked its fans and followers to report the fake account on Twitter.
Also Read: 5 Ways to Detect Scam Emails Amid the Pandemic
Violation of Data Privacy
Asking for an email address for a giveaway or any such campaigns is legally wrong. Moreover, collecting and using email addresses for other business activities can be subject to legal actions.
OnePlus is one of those international brands that have to comply with GDPR law in Europe. This means that companies that comply with GDPR law aren’t allowed to collect personal data.
If found violating data privacy with such acts, customers can take legal actions against the company.
However, OnePlus Nepal claims that the giveaway is nothing but a scam from a fake account.
On the other hand, OnePlus announced an official giveaway of OnePlus One on the occasion of Father’s Day. Notice how they only ask for a like and retweet to be eligible for the giveaway.
Final Say
Asking for personal data in such a manner is both legally and morally wrong. In fact, falling for such a scam shows the situation of digital literacy in Nepal.
Engaging in publicly providing personal information like mail address can open doors for scams and phishing attacks.
ICT Frame urges readers not to indulge in such scams and seek expert advice in case of any suspicious activities.
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