Ryanair ‘free tickets’ scam: how to tell WhatsApp message is fake

WhatsApp messages claiming to offer two free Ryanair flights are doing the rounds. However, the ticket offer is a scam designed to steal your personal info.

If you receive a WhatsApp message offering two free flights with Ryanair, delete it immediately because it's a scam.

The message, which you can see below, claims you can bag the free flights by forwarding it on to 15 friends.

You’re then are asked to click on a link which takes you to a new site where you enter your personal details, supposedly so you can receive the flights.

Instead, all that’s happened is you’ve handed your details over to scammers and put a number of your friends in the firing line in the process.

Ryanair tweeted on Sunday that it was aware of the scam and stressed that it only gave away free flights through its official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Please beware of a fake WhatsApp promotion offering free Ryanair tickets.

Ryanair is not active on WhatsApp and the only place to win Ryanair flights is on our official Facebook and Twitter accounts, both of which have the ‘blue tick’ verification ✔️🛫 pic.twitter.com/FiQhSWzlR3

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) May 28, 2018

If you can’t read the tweet above, it says:

Please beware of a fake WhatsApp promotion offering free Ryanair tickets. Ryanair is not active on WhatsApp and the only place to win Ryanair flights is on our official Facebook and Twitter accounts, both of which have the ‘blue tick’ verification

How believable is it?

Given some of the terrible spelling mistakes we’ve seen on other scams, this one is relatively well written.

What’s more, as Ryanair is known to give away free flights, the premise is believable. Not everyone will know that they don’t market on WhatsApp.

So you can see why some people might fall victim.

How to stay safe

Always be suspicious of any competition that requires you to hand over your details. It’s a classic scam tactic.

Your first step should be to check with the company in question – but don’t use any of the info contained in the message/mail/letter.

Look their details up separately and contact their customer service department to confirm whether the promotion is legitimate.