Advertisements are doing the rounds on Facebook promoting a special offer it is claimed that some employees of the Kruidvat drugstore chain are aware of. A set of personal beauty products is offered for just a few euro in return for completing a short survey. VRT News’ Fact Check Team found that the ads and the profiles that share them are fake.
A secret sale at your local Kruidvat drugstore? Fraudsters spread fake advertisement via Facebook
Published:
A large gift set containing skincare products for just 2 euros? It seems too good to be true and of course it isn’t. Several advertisements that appear on Facebook claim that the drugstore chain Kruidvat has a secret that only a few people know about.
Kruidvat is said to be selling off old stock at bargain prices. If the ads are to be believed, you can buy a Sol de Janeiro gift set for just 2 euros after completing a short survey. Unfortunately, this it's nothing more than a scam.
The various advertisements consistently tell a similar story. Those that post them claim to have learned about the special offer through a sister who works at Kruidvat or an acquaintance recently laid off by the retailer. Facebook's Ad Library shows that the ads have been viewed over a million times in Belgium.
Each post is followed by a comment with a link leading to a website containing the supposed Kruidvat survey. Once completed, you can click through to a form where you're asked for payment and your personal details.
Although you might never receive the box containing skincare products. As you have entered your bank details, the scammers will be able to withdraw money from your account. They can also use your personal data for phishing purpose or to sell it on to others.
Use of personal accounts
The profiles behind the ads are made by people posing as Belgians with typically Belgian names. However, a glance at the profiles quickly reveals that they were recently created and have no followers or friends. They have only a handful of photos, and there are no interactions on photos that are unrelated to the scam.
Using the Pimeyes tool, VRT Fact Check discovered that the photo of Katrien De Smet that was used by the scammers is that a real person from the Netherlands, albeit someone with a different name.
Not only the advertisements but also the people that respond so enthusiastically to the ads are fake. Photos supposedly of parcels of skincare products that have just arrived at someone’s home are taken to enhance credibility.
In addition to this, the profiles of the people posting the comments abouts the ads are also fake again. The scammers clearly went out of their way to make the profiles appear genuine. The hometown, workplace, and relationship status are all filled in. However, VRT Fack Check used Pimeyes to check the photographs on the profiles that it investigated and found that they appeared elsewhere on the social media accounts of people with a completely different name.
Kruidvat’s spokesperson Sander Khouw told the VRT that fake advertisements promoting fake special offers often appear on social media. "We do our utmost to take action where possible and/or to inform consumers." Mr Khouw stresses that advertisements VRT Fact Check investigated are not part of a Kruidvat advertising campaign.
Kruidvat isn't the only company to fall prey to fake ads. The namers of several other retail companies, such as Decathlon, MediaMarkt, and The North Face, have also been used by scammers.
How do I recognise fake ads?
Too good to be true: Is the product you can win through the ad normally worth a lot of money, but now you're only being asked to pay a few euro? Beware! If something sounds too good to be true, it more often than not isn’t.
Check the page behind the ad: If the page has few followers or photos, it's best not to trust it. Check the supposed vendor’s official page to see if you can find the promotional offer there.
Check the web address: After clicking on a link for a deal, first check the web address at the top of your screen. If it looks strange and doesn't resemble an official brand website, don't proceed.
Did you enter your bank details?
Contact your bank to have the scammers stop any ongoing and future transactions.
Call CardStop on 078 170 170.
Card purcases can be disputed through the mijnkaart.be website.
Report what has happened to the police.
Lodge a complaint with the Economic Inspectorate. This can be done online via this link: hun meldpunt .
VRT Fact Check
Do you want something checked? Send VRT Fact Check a mail check@vrtnws.be.
VRT News is a recognised member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) .