Tag Archives: Facebook

Posts on Facebook are claiming to be offering PlayStation 5 consoles for less than £2 from Argos. But the offers are not genuine. 

One of the posts appears on a Facebook page with only three followers and claims the consoles were used in “demo presentations”. The other fake offer is posted by a page that has 27 followers and claims the consoles were formerly used at “trade shows”.  

Both posts show photos of PlayStation 5 boxes in a store with an Argos sign advertising the consoles for £1.78. 

A spokesperson for Argos told Full Fact that: “These are not genuine offers.

One of the posts says: “Click the button and visit our website to order”. But the link goes to a webpage that looks like Argos but doesn’t have the official Argos web address and…

A Facebook post with more than 10,000 shares claims that everyone who shares and comments on it, and follows a link to submit an application, will receive a free meal for two at Wetherspoons. 

But this is not a real offer.

The post says: “Hello everyone! I’m Tim Martin, founder of Wetherspoons. I’m very pleased to introduce you to my son Ryan Martin. Next week I will be retiring and handing over all control to my eldest Son. 

“Before I depart I’d like to do one last good deed to say thanks because without all of you we wouldn’t be here today. So everyone who shares&comments, and then submitted their entry […], within the next 14 days will receive a meal for two on us! This can be used for Breakfast, lunch or dinner at any Wetherspoons establishment…

Multiple posts on Facebook are promoting offers for free tickets to Alton Towers, but they are not associated with the theme park and there is no evidence the offers are real. 

The posts appear on two different pages, both called ‘Alton Towers Fans’, and are written as if they were posted by an official account for the theme park. 

Several posts say that a user can win complimentary passes into the park by sharing or commenting on the posts. One post, which has almost 3,500 shares, says: “Here at Alton Towers we wanted to show you how much we care as we know times haven’t been the easiest this year so we have decided that everybody who has $hared&¢ommented in the 7 day time frame from now will be given a complimentary coupon sheet with 8 passes.”

Others say…

A Facebook post claiming to be searching for a missing man who has dementia is a hoax. 

The post, which appeared in a buy-and-sell group for Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, says: “NOT YET FOUND!! #Scunthorpe Mr.Jones aged 81 drove out with a dog Rex and he still hasn’t returned. He doesn’t know where he’s going, he has dementia. There is a silver alert activated on him. Please help bump this post so we can get him home safely.”

Full Fact has written before about a similar hoax post using the same photo, which has been traced back to the US and does not show a man called Mr Jones. 

There are many signs that this post is not genuine. Firstly, Full Fact traced the photo showing a man holding a dog to a community Facebook group in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the original…

Thousands of people have shared a Facebook post claiming to be offering eight free passes to Alton Towers theme park. 

But Alton Towers has confirmed that the offer is not genuine and the account that posted it is not associated with them.

The post, which has received more than 8,000 comments and almost 7,000 shares in the 24 hours since it was posted, says: “We have a super exciting announcement for all you thrill seekers. Times have been tough lately so to welcome you all back to Alton Towers this summer we have decided to reward everybody who has $hared&¢ommented in the next 48 hours from now with a complimentary coupon sheet with 8 passes!”

The post was published by a page called Alton Towers Fans, which was created on 17 April 2023.

A spokesperson for Alton…