French scam alert: False TotalEnergies petrol ‘loyalty card’ deal
Fake adverts on Facebook suggest that you can buy 200 litres for €1.95 if you sign up
TotalEnergies is offering a discount on fuel…but it is not quite as generous as the scam offer doing the rounds on Facebook
Sylv1rob1 / Yashkin Ilya / Shutterstock
People in France are warned to be alert to a scam advert circulating on Facebook, which promises 200 litres of petrol for just €1.95, in exchange for signing up to a fake TotalEnergies website and filling in a form.
When clicked, the advert takes users to a website designed to look like it belongs to the Total Energies group, but is in fact fake.
It promises 200 litres of petrol for €1.95 in exchange for signing up for a Total loyalty card. The advert usually shows a photograph of someone holding a Total card, standing in front of petrol station prices.
Some of the adverts promise a card if you “sign up for [Total’s] new loyalty programme”.
All are fake, and send you to a fraudulent website on which you are required to enter your details. Some people have been asked to take part in a ‘competition’ (that you always win) and then you are asked to sign up to receive the prize.
News source BFMTV has found at least four different adverts leading to the same, fraudulent website.
The offer appears even more tempting given the current high prices of fuel and rising cost of living, and Ascension weekend, when many people are planning to drive across the country to take holidays.
Read more:Why diesel prices are falling but petrol prices still rising in France
Read more:New map shows you the cheapest petrol near you in France
People are warned to be aware of the fraud, and never enter their personal or bank details on sites such as this. If you have fallen victim to the scam, contact your bank immediately.
For those looking to get a deal on their petrol, all is not lost; Total Energies this week decided to prolong its 10 centimes off every litre over the summer period, to help counteract rising prices. No loyalty card or sign up is needed to benefit.
This is offered in combination with the government’s 18 cent per litre discount.
Read more:Recap: how to benefit from France’s 18 cent-per-litre fuel discount
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