Throw up the glitter, vinas, because we’re talking giveaways today! Nowadays, there are tons of giveaways and contests happening on social media. Brands large and small are taking advantage of the power of Instagram to connect with their followers and give away some pretty awesome prizes online.
Before you hop on the next giveaway train, here are three ways to tell if an Instagram giveaway is a fake:
IT’S NOT A VERIFIED OR LEGITIMATE ACCOUNT
Instagram is a wonderful visual platform, but it can be flooded with fake accounts and brands. The number one thing to look for before entering a Instagram contest is if the account sponsoring the giveaway is actually real. It helps if the account hosting the giveaway is a business, brand or influencer that you can trust. Verified accounts generally have that blue check-mark symbol, which lets you know that is confirmed by Instagram to be official. Non-verified but credible accounts are out there, though. Here are some characteristics of a credible account that is not a fake:
- They only have a handful of followers.
- There’s a blank or non-creditable bio link.
- There’s no profile picture.
- There is a lack of posts prior to the giveaway promotion.
NO RULES OR TERMS
Not only are they required by Instagram, Rules & Terms make a giveaway safe and fair for everyone involved. A legit Instagram giveaway will always have entry rules and guidelines for contestants to follow in order to qualify for the prize. It should also include the details about what the prize is and how to redeem it if you’re the lucky winner.
PAY FOR THE PRIZE
A legit giveaway will only ask for minimal info before you can claim your new prize. It’s not a good idea to release your personal information until you have been confirmed and announced as the winner. At the very least, you may be asked for your name and shipping address, if the giveaway features physical products. If you’re asked by a content host to pay for your prize or share your banking info, run in the other direction, fast!
Don’t forget to follow @ilikevina on Instagram to see our giveaways! While you’re at it, download Hey! VINA!
(Featured Image via Pineapple Supply Co.)
VINAZINE 
My daughter won a Sony camera in an Instagram competition. The camera is being held by Dutch customs and she is being asked to pay 400 euros import tax. It sounds a bit strange to me.Does anyone know about this?
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Fraud
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I recieve a message saying that i won a prize money $800,000.00, a samsung vr and a samsung galaxy s7 edge…but in order to recieve this prize i must send them an amount of $800 through moneygram so that theyre agent can book a flight to deliver my parcel in my address. Is this real or a fake?
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I found an account on Instagram that is giving away free iPhones (not the newest one) there’s a link in the bio and it sends me to what looks like the legitimate iphone/Apple website. It tells me to pick shock iPhone I want, the iPhone plus or the regular iPhone, the color for the phone and the amount of GBs I want. Afterwards they ask for my name, zip, city and address. Should I trust it?
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can you tell me the instagram username
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I was contacted by hgtvfixer.upper Instagram account. With 91 post, 897 followers and only 3751 following. These people are FAKE! They messaged me saying I was a $350,000 prize with Fixer Upper and Property Brothers giveaway. Asked me for some information and the stated that in order to get claims to the money, I would have to get a claimers card for $347.06 for the insurance. When I asked for them to send me the details to my email (since they asked for it). Their response was, ” What do you mean what’s the difference you were selected on Instagram not by your email?” Got all kinds of defensive. Stay away from these fools!!
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Thanks
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I participated a offwhite X Nike shoes conducted by hyped.feed lately got a message that I won it. They are saying me to send shipping price $30 to PayPal friends and family so they will be ready for shipping so can I trust them???????
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