CADBURY HAS WARNED people not to interact with a scam claiming to offer a free Easter chocolate basket that has been circulating on messaging platforms and social media.

Images have been posted online by recipients that show a WhatsApp message containing a link claiming to offer a free chocolate treat.

But the chocolate manufacturer has confirmed the offer is not genuine and should not be interacted with, adding in a statement that it was “working to resolve this”.

We’ve been made aware of circulating posts on social media claiming to offer consumers a free Easter Chocolate basket. We can confirm this hasn't been generated by us & we urge consumers not to interact. Your security is our priority & we’re currently working to resolve this.

— Cadbury UK (@CadburyUK) March 31, 2022

“We’ve been made aware of circulating posts on social media claiming to offer consumers a free Easter Chocolate basket,” the company said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“We can confirm this hasn’t been generated by us & we urge consumers not to interact. Your security is our priority & we’re currently working to resolve this.”

The message appears to be a type of phishing scam, where criminals create messages that look genuine in order to trick consumers into clicking a link to a bogus website where viruses could be installed on their device, or having them hand over personal information which can be used to gain access to financial information or online bank accounts.

While there are instances of the scam circulating in Ireland, Gardaí said they yet have to received any complaints. 

Merseyside Police in the UK issued a public warning about the scam, urging people to avoid clicking on the link contained in the message as it was an attempt to “gain access to your personal details”.

With reporting by Eoghan Dalton