Cadbury have confirmed that an online scam that lures victims with the promise of free Easter chocolate is circulating, and have warned chocolate fans not to taste bitter disappointment by falling for the phishing scam.

According to reports, the message circulating on WhatsApp - and there have been sightings of it on Facebook, too - claims to offer recipients a ‘free Easter chocolate basket’ from Cadbury and includes a link to a page where they are asked to give personal information.

Cadbury has confirmed via Twitter that this message was not generated by the company and does not contain a legitimate offer. They have warned customers not to interact with the scam.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published guidance to help people recognise scam messages, and advises that if a message feels suspicious or too good to be true, contact the organisation directly.

Scam messages can be tricky to spot but often include one or more of the following tell-tale signs:

• Authority - does the message claim to be from someone or an organisation you trust?
• Urgency - does it say you need to respond within a limited time or immediately?
• Emotion - does the message make you panic, fearful, hopeful or curious so you might click on a malicious link?
• Scarcity - does the message offer something in short supply or make you fear missing out on a good deal?
• Current events - does the message refer to current news stories or specific times of year to make it seem more convincing?

More advice on spotting scams and how to report them can be found in our Phishing Scams guidance blog post.

Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).