This morning on Facebook I saw (on one of my friends’ walls) a post that said “I Loooooove Southwest.” Underneath was a link that read:
“2 Free Southwest Airline Tickets! Only 56 Remaining! Hurry Now!
shmeallking.info
Get Your Free Southwest Tickets Now but only if you hurry!”
When you click on the link, the instructions tell you “Simply type ‘I Looove Southwest!’ into the comments below to get your 2 free tickets.
That, simply put, is a lie.
Knowing full well that this was probably another bait-and-switch to get people to fill out “surveys,” I clicked on it anyway to find out. When you follow those instructions your comment not only appears on that page, it appears as your status update on your Facebook page with a link and instructions for all of your friends to follow suit.
You then find out that ”In order to receive your gift you must: (1) Meet the eligibility requirements (2) complete the rewards bonus survey (3) complete a total of 13 Sponsor Offers as stated in the Gift Rules (4) Follow redemption instructions. Sponsor offers may require a purchase.”
What a brilliant idea! Offer 2 free tickets under a deceptive ploy and get 24,696 (and counting) people to give you their information. Free viral marketing at the cost of very few, if any, tickets because most people will stop taking the “surveys” once they reach the sponsor who “may require a purchase.”
I thought these damn tickets were free!?
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is a beautiful and ugly example of why you must take such genuine care in how you present yourself online. The general public is inherently trusting and it is important to respect that. The tendency as a business person to lapse into “salespeak” or a variation thereof can make you inadvertently look like Southwest looks to thousands of consumers right now.
Apparently, this scam has been around for a couple of months.
Viral marketing is great when it’s used properly, but it’s a killer in the long run when it’s used like this. Make sure your online presence shows you as someone who sincerely wants to help.
