Fraudulent gift exchanges on Facebook are trying to scam users ahead of Christmas

Don't let them catch you out

(Getty/iStockphoto)

It’s the most wonderful time of year to get caught up in a scam.

Fraudsters are taking to Facebook to spread the word about fake gift exchanges and they have been widely shared on the platform.

One “holiday gift exchange” program is named “Secret Sister” and promises users 36 gifts in exchange for every $10 (£7) item they purchase for a stranger.

(Facebook (Facebook)

“Anyone interested in a Christmas gift exchange? I don’t care where you live, you are welcome to join,” writes one Facebook user.

“I need 6 or more ladies of any age to participate in the secret sister gift exchange.

"You only have to buy one gift valued at $10 or more and send it to one secret sister, and you will receive 6 to 36 gifts in return!!”

The hoax has been carried out to the extent whereby people are even posting fake photos of their “secret sister” presents on social media, claiming they showed up on their doorstep.

However, what seems like a fun and festive way to amp up your Christmas present quota is actually a pyramid scheme, warns the Better Business Bureau (BBB), whereby participating members only profit by recruiting more members onto the scheme - no product is actually sold.

“While gift exchanges grow in popularity during the holiday season, BBB advises consumers to use caution when choosing one in which to participate,” the Bureau said in a statement.

“According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s gambling and pyramid scheme laws, gift chains like this are illegal and participants could be subject to penalties for mail fraud.”

(Facebook)

While a number of the scams follow a similar format, the content and wording often differs, occasionally making them difficult to spot.

In addition to “Secret Sister” there is a “Secret Wine Lover” hoax circulating which asks Facebook users to tag friends and send a bottle of wine to a stranger.

They are promised up to 36 wine bottles in return.

Shocking as they may be, these scams aren’t new; one quick search on Instagram shows that gift exchange hoax’s have been circulating in various forms since October 2015.

So, if it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is.