Unilever warns of SMS scams
MIDRAND - Unilever has said it is not behind the unsolicited SMSes that members of the public keep complaining about.
One of the text messages reads: “Congratulations, you have won R250 000 in the OMO promotion. Ref OM323. Please call 073 257 0712 to claim your prize.”
When Midrand Reporter called the number a man named Mario James asked for banking details and a physical address, and said he “needs” those details even though they pay only by cheque.
Unilever spokesperson Unathi Mgobozi said the company is aware that scammers are using its products to push for competitions that do not exist. “In the last quarter of 2013 our attention was drawn to fraudulent activities whereby consumers receive a text message informing them that they have won a competition for one of the Unilever brands such as OMO, Sunlight and Knorr, to name a few.”
Mgobozi added, “Unilever has created a campaign on radio and print media to warn customers of the scam. Unilever will never request consumers to deposit money after winning a competition as the text messages prompted. Unilever brands run SMS competitions from time to time but the competitions are fully branded, and do not ask consumers for money.”
