Beware of Facebook ads offering turkeys at 'ridiculously cheap' prices, says Stomper

They say if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Stomper Sarah came across a Facebook ad offering turkeys for a 'ridiculously cheap' price.

She came across an ad by 'Golden Plate Turkey' selling cooked turkeys at just $28.80 each and reached out to the seller who then sent her a link on WhatsApp asking her to click on it to download an app.

"It's supposedly to pay for a refundable transport fee of $5," she said.

That's when Sarah knew the deal was a scam and promptly reported the number to WhatsApp and blocked it.

"Normal prices for turkeys cost at least $60," she added.

For example, a traditional roast turkey goes for $68.80 at FairPrice.

Alternatively, The Meat Club is selling the poultry for $150.

Sarah wanted to share this to raise awareness of such scams, especially with Christmas around the corner.

"Always be very very suspicious when an offer is too good to be true," she said.

In November, a woman lost $80,000 after responding to a Facebook ad from a so-called recycling company wanting to buy old clothes for restoration purposes.

In similar instances, the police have cautioned members of the public about the dangers of downloading apps from third-party or dubious sites and are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:

• ADD - anti-virus/anti-malware apps available on official Play Store or App Store to your device. Update your devices’ operating systems and applications regularly to be protected by the latest security patches. Disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in your phone settings. Do not grant permission to persistent pop-ups that request for access to your device’s hardware or data.

• CHECK - for scam signs with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688). When asked to download unknown apps, check the developer information on the app listing as well as the number of downloads and user reviews to ensure it is a reputable and legitimate application.

• TELL - authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the number to WhatsApp to initiate in-app blocking and report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.