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E-commerce site Flipkart's 'Goat Sale' is currently live, offering numerous deals to customers. However, the event is now being exploited for fraud. Scammers are using fake social media pages and advertisements in the name of Flipkart's 'Goat Sale' to dupe people. Authorities are now issuing warnings about this scam. On Monday (July 6), the Kerala Police alerted the public to this new cybercrime, in which fraudsters are deceiving people through fake advertisements.

The police stated that scammers have created fake Facebook pages—designed to look like official Flipkart accounts—using names such as 'Flipkart Goat Sale', 'Goat Sale Live', 'Offer Sale', and 'FK Goat Offer' to lure customers.

**The scam begins upon clicking the advertisement**
Reports indicate that customers are shown advertisements on these fake Facebook pages offering mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices at very low prices. Users who click on these ads are redirected either to a fake website that mimics Flipkart's official portal or to a private WhatsApp number; this is where the fraudsters' scheme begins.

Subsequently, the scammers create a sense of urgency by sending messages claiming that stock is limited or the offer is about to expire. They pressure users to book quickly and persuade them to transfer money under various guises, such as advance payments, delivery charges, or 'offer confirmation' fees.

Once the money is transferred, the fraudsters claim the product is out of stock. They then demand additional money before cutting off all contact.

**Fraud occurring across multiple platforms**
The police revealed that these scammers are operating across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Consequently, the public is advised not to trust offers found on these platforms without proper verification. It states that users should rely solely on Flipkart's official mobile app or website to verify the authenticity of offers and should avoid making payments or sharing personal information via any links provided on social media.

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