Unclaimed luggage advertisement red flagged as fake
Don't get fooled by fake sales ads on social media...
The high of Black Friday sales has definitely left many people happy about their purchases and ready for Cyber Monday deals.
But with that feeling of excitement comes a feeling of caution. Scams are never scarce under usual circumstances, but as we approach the festive season, it seems that we need to be extra vigilant.
One fine example of that was witnessed earlier this month when a social media post circulated online saying that unclaimed airport baggage was being sold.
Who hasn't lost or misplaced a piece of luggage before?
It's hard to say what happens when the airport is unable to track your lost item, but we do know that the items are tagged, recorded, and kept in a special room at the airport.
What we don't expect to see is a post advertising people's lost items for sale.
Fake advertisements were seen on Facebook giving people the chance to purchase "one of the hundreds of pieces of misplaced luggage for as little as R38." (IOL)
O.R. Tambo selling lost luggage that's been with them for over six months for R38 is quite surprising. pic.twitter.com/AtOx7boQgP
— Bra Mel to you (@MelikhayaL3006) November 20, 2023
"The ads read: 'Every three months, the warehouse is overflowing, and we are forced to sell the luggage that we could not return for only R38.'"
"This social media post comes with the official ACSA logo and images of an arrivals hall crammed with baggage." (IOL)
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) warned people not long after the ads surfaced that this was a scam and people should be warned.
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ACSA went on to tell the public that they should be wary of online luggage scams and if they had any queries, the best thing to do was contact them on www.airports.co.za to verify any information.
Also, it is important to note that this scam has been circulating around the world. The best thing to do in this case is report the post to Meta/Facebook.
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Image Courtesy of X