Scam alert: Emirates is not giving out 500 free tickets

UAE residents have been warned against falling victim to a scam, involving the giving away of 500 free Emirates Airline tickets to celebrate the new year.
The Dubai-based carrier stated that some of the posts circulating on social media about giving away free tickets are fake, and that residents should stay away from such messages.
An Emirates spokesperson told Khaleej Times that genuine competitions by the airline are run only on its official social media platforms.
"Emirates is aware of the fact that there are online competitions and social media posts, circulating regarding ticket giveaways for the new year. This is not an official competition and we advise people to exercise caution. Genuine competitions are only hosted on our official social media accounts which are marked with a blue tick," conveyed a statement sent by the spokesperson.
The fake messages sent by fraudsters on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, with an official Emirates Airline logo ask people to take part in the competition to win 500 tickets to celebrate New Year. Clicking and opening these messages could lead victims to lose their personal and financial information and also make it easy for hackers to hack their devices.
In September 2017, a hoax website had offered people a chance to win two free Emirates Airline tickets for taking part in a short survey. The airline had warned consumers to stay away from fraudulent websites that claim to offer airline tickets for free.
The UAE authorities have time and again cautioned people against opening such suspicious emails and messages circulating on social media platforms, in order for them to protect their credit card and bank account details.
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com