People Are Falling for Those Viral 'Win a Free Trip to the Maldives' Social Media Posts
As TPG's resident social media manager, I spend a lot of my time on the Internet for work — an Internet explorer, if you will. And it's come to my attention that we have a little bit of a social situation on our hands.
I'm talking about those "WIN A TRIP TO *INSERT BEAUTIFUL EXOTIC LOCATION HERE*" posts that everyone and their mother seems to be sharing these days. You know the ones: They feature insanely blue water, beaches for days, and plenty of overwater bungalows, whether it's in Bora Bora or the Maldives. They look absolutely perfect, except for the fact that they're not real. Hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but someone's gotta do it.
Let's use this post that my lovely aunt shared as an example:
Now, I can't say I blame her at all for wanting to win a getaway to Bora Bora. I mean, just look at that water! But let's take a closer look at the page that is promoting it — aptly named "Vacation."
A good indication that it's as fake as a Chanel bag from Canal Street is the fact that it's not verified and is literally just titled "Vacation." Last time I checked, there's no such reputable company that's called "Vacation," but hey, what do I know? I just work here.
The "About" section is even worse. "Vacation" provides no actual information as to what they do, who they are, or where they are. Nada. Zilch. It does let you send them a message, though, but I'm willing to bet they're not really the most responsive Facebook page in the game.
Another dead giveaway that it's fake is in the, well, giveaway itself. There's no mention of what hotel the stay will be at. Is it the St. Regis? What airline are they giving you flights on? When would you have to fly? There also aren't any official terms and conditions, which is a big no-no for any giveaway in the history of the Internet.
If you really have a good eye, you'll also notice that they said "Unfortunately, the winner of the big draw (Patricia Simons) was from Canada and not USA as was required and unable to claim their prize." Virtually every single one of these "giveaways" says something like this. And as we just talked about before, where are the official terms and conditions anyway that say you have to be from the US? Like I said, methinks we have a bit of a social situation here.
So next time you (or someone you know) thinks they're about to head to the airport and to island paradise, maybe don't start packing just yet. And if you want a free trip to the Maldives, we do know a site that might be able to help.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
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- No foreign transaction fees
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- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.