WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Retailers offering cheap laptops and smartphones deals to Australians.
OUR VERDICT
False. The promotion is a scam.
AAP FACTCHECK - Australian social media users are being targeted by a scam offering cheap laptops and phones run by accounts operating in Europe.
The promotion is being shared on Facebook, where users are offered a deal to buy devices from technology retailers, including Amazon and Harvey Norman, for as little as $3.
However, the posts are part of a scam designed to collect personal information and financial details.
The fake promotion is being shared by suspicious accounts with names such as "Laptops for Australian residents", "Laptops for every Australian" and "Phone for every Australian".
"Harvey Norman is selling out of its stock and is now offering last year's iPhone 16 Pro phones to all Australians aged 40 and over!" one post claims.
"These devices are in perfect condition and are being sold for a nominal amount to give more people the opportunity to enjoy a quality smartphone."
Another post states: "Amazon needs to dispose of a batch of laptops that have been sitting in a warehouse for over a year. Instead of going through an expensive disposal process, they're offering them online to everyone for just $3 ! Simply answer 3 quick questions and claim your laptop now."
Users are encouraged to click a link that's attached to the post or shared in the comment section.
Page transparency information reveals that many of the accounts are based overseas, including in Ukraine, and some share the same email address.
Other users appear to validate the promotion in comments under the suspicious posts.
"I ordered it last week . It arrived today and I am very happy with it," one says.
Other signs that the offer is a scam include that the Facebook pages were created the same day the posts were made, and the accounts have made no or few other posts.
Harvey Norman has warned consumers about social media promotions falsely claiming it is offering cheap or free products.
"Be aware of the increase in scams which fraudulently use the Harvey Norman brand to trick unsuspecting customers into sharing their personal and/or financial details," a company statement said.
"Be on the alert at all times and remember that Harvey Norman will never request your personal or banking details - such as your account or credit card details or password - in unsolicited communications."
An Amazon spokesperson said that "this is not a legitimate offer from Amazon".
"We encourage customers to report suspected scams, like this one, to us so that we can act to help keep customers safe," the spokesperson told AAP FactCheck.
HOW TO SPOT A SCAM POST ON FACEBOOK - THE RED FLAGS
Treat posts appealing for help to find lost or found people or pets, offering extremely cheap or free products and services with caution if they include more than one of the following features:
* The person encourages everyone to share their post widely.
* They don't provide their contact details or they ask people to send them a DM or PM (direct message or private message).
* The post includes only very vague details about the location of the person or pet, or the giveaway.
* If the account of the person posting is less than a year old, has no profile picture, has very few friends, or isn't located in the same area as the subject of their post. This indicates their account is fake.
* If you can't comment on the post because the person has disabled comments. This is done to stop people from warning others that it's a scam.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
