A new scam has claimed countless victims on social networks like Facebook and Instagram. Criminal posts pretend to be the Farm Rio clothing store and advertise a free bag for anyone who responds to a review and pays for shipping or the product. This scam gained notoriety when the presenter Angélica from Globo used her voice as a persuasive strategy.

But despite all the technological gadgets and imitations in the official store, they are all nothing more than a scam. When paying the fee, which can reach almost R$ 60, the website displays an error message and does not provide further information to the victims. Letícia Rosa, the manager of the nutrition area, was almost one of the victims of this scam.

He tells TecMundo The person who came across the fake ad while using Instagram. “I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and at first I saw a video with the image of the presenter Angélica, then I saw only her voice and images of the Farm products. It said that it was the anniversary of the company and that they would give away a travel bag if you answered the survey,” he recalls.

The ads have been floating around the internet for a while, but the scam gained traction in July. On the social network X (formerly Twitter), several profiles began sharing reports of the problem, even showing well-articulated sponsored videos with host Angélica.

The artist’s face is visible for a few seconds in the material, but his voice greets his followers and explains the details of the promotion. The scam celebrates Farm Rio’s 25th anniversary and shows a lightning bonus for answering a survey. Valid only by CPF, users who answer the questions will be given a suitcase that will arrive at their home in four days.

Although it seems correct, the material is completely wrong. In response g1Angélica’s office confirmed that she did not record or work on any advertising content with the Farm, suggesting that criminals manipulated her voice with artificial intelligence.

Other similar scams involving the Farm have used the faces and/or voices of people like Sabrina Sato, Maísa, Juliette, and Gisele Bündchen, as well as Angélica. It is important to emphasize that none of these artists have worked with the Farm, and all of the videos are considered scams.

How does farm scam work?

The fake ads appear as ads in Instagram stories or as sponsored ads on Facebook. The scam uses the same visual identity as the store, with attractive, well-written copy about Farm Rio’s 25th anniversary promotion and a free bag for anyone who fills out the survey.

When the link is clicked, the user will be directed to a question website and will have to answer all 15 questions. Then, a website very similar to Farm will be shown where the model of the bag that will be gifted to the user is specified.

The victim will see a picture and description of the bag, as well as credit card symbols and other payment methods to reinforce the supposed authenticity of the offer. The model is available in three color versions and after purchasing the product, interested parties are required to enter some personal information and make deposits of R$37.91, R$45.98 and R$57.79 to obtain the product.

Usually, payments made through PIX go through normally, and in some cases, the fake website even updates the page to show that everything has been successfully processed and the scholarship will be delivered soon. Other times, the site displays an error message during the transition but offers no explanation.

Farm scam confirmed

While the alleged promotion already had plenty of signs of a scam, Farm has confirmed that it was a criminal act. “We are aware that unofficial websites and ads are promoting false representations about Farm,” the company said in a note posted to Instagram.

During the registration and payment process, Letícia Rosa says she only noticed the scam when she was about to make the payment through PIX. The free suitcase promotion for the manager was a precursor to other “very tempting” offers, and that’s when she realized it was a scam.

Hundreds of people were not so lucky. Many complaints on the Reclame Aqui website point to the same issue, highlighting similarities with Farm’s official website and artists’ advertisements. This was the case of a victim from São Luiz, Maranhão, who thought that a payment failure message was displayed on the website and was waiting for his money to be refunded, thinking it was an error.

Owempay, the company responsible for the switch, apologized for what happened in the Reclame Aqui responses tab and contacted the victim to get her money back. However, the company has absolved itself of fraud and said it is merely a “service provider.”

On social networks like X (formerly Twitter), dozens of people say they fell for the scam.

How to avoid online scams?

Unlike in the past, online scams have modernized. Criminals have a range of technologies at their disposal, including deepfakes and artificial intelligence, as well as the ease of creating and distributing content.

Letícia was one of the victims who, in addition to having her money stolen, also gave away important personal data such as her CPF or ID. The manager says that as soon as she noticed the trap, she searched the internet to be sure.

In addition to paying extra attention to suspicious activity, it is always recommended that people be wary of unexpected products or offers, especially outside of major promotion periods. Another good tip is to always search trusted websites to see if the page is genuine, as well as look for as many reviews and comments about the seller as possible.


Source: Tec Mundo

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Jack
I am a passionate and hardworking journalist with an eye for detail. I specialize in the field of news reporting, and have been writing for Gadget Onus, a renowned online news site, since 2019. As the author of their Hot News section, I’m proud to be at the forefront of today’s headlines and current affairs.

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