Do you use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Social media has so many positive aspects: keeping in touch with friends and family, sharing photos, finding out about new things and staying on top of current events. 

Unfortunately, there’s a downside as well. Scammers are always out there trying to take advantage of people. We’re seeing an increased number of posts on social media sites about National Consumer Panel that share incorrect information about who we are and what we do. 

We try to correct bad information whenever possible, and we appreciate it when panel members let us know about posts with incorrect info! 

So, what kinds of bad information do we see? I’ll share some examples.

Examples of Social Media Scams

Here’s a social media scam post we see a lot, and it’s frequently posted in buy, sell and trade groups on Facebook. It usually includes a photo of a fake email, along with a link to a website. The link has usually been shortened with a link shortener like bit.ly, which obscures the actual URL for the website. 

Don’t click on links in posts like this! A shortened, obscured URL that accompanies a post that sounds too good to be true will most likely take you to a website you don’t want to go to. 

To be fair, not all shortened URLs are bad links. Even NCP uses link shorteners! But when you see them accompany a post like this, don’t click on them. 

If you see a post like this, you can report it to the social media site as spam. Or, you can send it to NCP and we’ll work with the social media site to report it and try to get it removed.

What Else Is Wrong With This Post?

Well, NCP isn’t going to deposit $1,000 into your account for downloading our app. That isn’t how our program works! 

When you download NCPMobile, you’ll earn reward points for scanning the barcodes of items you purchase. You can also earn reward points for taking surveys, playing games, and other activities in the app. You can then redeem your reward points for gift cards or prizes.

Other things to notice about the fake email in this post: spelling errors, spacing errors and punctuation errors. We don’t claim to be perfect, but our emails typically won’t have spelling and punctuation mistakes like this.

We’ve also had reports of posts suggesting that NCP offers grocery giveaways in various locations. This isn’t a program offered by NCP. 

Tips to Avoid Social Media Scams

Don’t fall for scams- protect yourself, your personal information and your bank account. Here are a few tips:

  • NCP does not deposit money directly into your bank account
  • Don’t click on links in groups or on posts that promise cash rewards or direct deposits for installing an app
  • Don’t click on links if you don’t know where they’ll take you

Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

If you ever have a question about a social media post about NCP and what we offer, send us a private message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. We always enjoy hearing from our panel members, and we appreciate it when you alert us to incorrect information.

And if you’re not a current NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining us to share your shopping experiences and earn great rewards, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog!

Regards,
Taylor

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