Emirates airline warns of scam competition offering large cash prizes

The bogus contest, which has been circulated on WhatsApp and in emails, urges people to open a promotional link

Emirates is urging the public to be careful about fake online competitions offering cash giveaways in its name. Photo: AFP

Emirates airline has issued a warning against a fake competition that claims to offer Dh10,000 as a cash prize.

The scam, which has been circulated on WhatsApp and in emails, urges people to open a promotional link that offers a chance to win the cash prize from the Dubai airline.

"Emirates is aware that there are online competitions circulating regarding cash giveaways. This is not an official competition and we advise caution," an Emirates representative said on Wednesday.

"All Emirates-authorised content is hosted on our official channels, including our social media accounts marked with a blue tick."

Cybersecurity experts often caution people to be wary of clicking on links sent by accounts they do not recognise.

The links then connect to websites that target users for personal information and bank account details.

A bogus competition in 2018 went viral, with assurances of free Emirates air tickets to 500 customers in celebration of the airline's 32nd anniversary.

The airline responded by issuing a warning against signing up for fake contests that were posted on Facebook, Twitter and in WhatsApp messages.