Facebook contests: Seven ways to spot a hoax

We have all seen it; share this post and get a free trip to Disney, tag a friend and get round-trip airfare to any destination around the world, like this page and win a free car. The list goes on and on. If it seems too good to be true it probably is. Many contests that people enter are scams.

Here are seven clues to keep you from falling victim to Facebook contests that aren't legitimate:

1. You have to share the post and/ or tag a friend. Facebook has a set of terms and conditions that should be followed when running a contest on a business page. Asking people to "share" a contest post or "tag" a friend is not permitted and Facebook can take down your business page if they find you violating their rules for contest promotions. Asking people to "like" and/ or "comment" is perfectly fine. Sending people to a landing page where they enter their email address is also ok. The issue arises when you are asked to involve your Facebook friends or your personal profile to enter. I know, I know....your local boutique had a contest that asked you to share and tag a friend. That was probably legit, only because they didn't know any better. I am often surprised at some of the larger businesses that don't execute contests properly.

First clue, they are asking you to share the photo and like the page as a means to enter the contest.

2. The business page isn't verified. National brands will have a verified page with a blue badge.

3. If the prize seems too good to be true, it probably is. I hate to break it to you, but you aren't going to win a free trip for four to Disney, a brand new car, airline tickets, or anything else that is that valuable.

Sorry, folks! They are just trying to get your information. No car to win here!

4. The page name is similar, or identical to a well-known brand....but there is a period after it.

Disney World seems to be legit, right? Wrong! This one has been circulating for a while. Also note, no verified badge, plus they are asking you to enter the contest in a manner that is against Facebook's terms and conditions.

5. There are few, if any, other posts on their page and the page was started relatively recently. Facebook is constantly shutting down these pages, so they have to move fast and get as much info and as many followers as possible before moving on to the next one. If they aren't shut down, they will simply delete the posts and photos from the page, rename it as another company and start again.

This is that same Disney page. There are only two posts to this page, the contest post and their profile photo, added recently. Remember, this contest has made the rounds several times before.

6. The website seems bogus, or there isn't one listed. To be honest, it's probably not a good idea to click on the website link in the first place. But if you do, many times it doesn't exist or seems suspect.

I have a feeling that they aren't trying to sell (or give) me a camper car on this website.

7. If you revisit the page several days later, it's gone!

Several days later, Camper Car was shut down!

It's always a good idea to check for clues of legitimacy before entering any contest on Facebook. Remember, when you share the contest on your wall, your friends see it and they might fall for it too. In some cases you could be inviting spammers, or worse, viruses on to your computer.