Thieves are the lowest of the low. Those thieves don't always have to be breaking into your home or car either. Some thieves like to be tricky and offer a great deal or a nice gift. These thieves are smart, too. They'll disguise it as coming from a legitimate company that we all love like Blue Bell. That's exactly what's happening right now with a scam being passed around online in Longview, Texas and across our region of the state.

Get our free mobile app

Immediately Noticed the Scam

I was scrolling through my News Feed on Facebook yesterday and saw that a friend had shared this to her page. I immediately knew it was a scam. Yes, it sounds great and tugs at your heart a bit but this is only designed to steal your personal information. Sure, sharing and commenting doesn't do much harm, its the link they send later that can do the damage.

This is what it looks like:

Blue Bell Scam - Facebook
Blue Bell Scam - Facebook
loading...

Yeah, it all looks legit, right? However, there are some ways to figure out that this is a scam.

If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Lack Of The Blue Checkmark

There are two things to notice here. First, look at the title of the Facebook page, Blue Bell Ice Cream Fans. This is a common practice among scammers to add "fans" at the end of the title. Second, there would be a blue checkmark next to name to signal that it is a verified and real company page. In Blue Bell's Case, they don't have a blue checkmark, which I'm not sure why they haven't gotten one, but I will show you the scam page followed by the authentic Blue Bell page.

Here is the scam page:

Blue Bell Scam Page - Facebook
Blue Bell Scam Page - Facebook
loading...

Here is the real Blue Bell Facebook page:

Real Blue Bell Facebook Page - Facebook
Real Blue Bell Facebook Page - Facebook
loading...

They look pretty much identical. A couple of things to look for is you can see if your friends have liked the page. On the scam page you won't see that. Also, look on the right hand side, on the scam page you'll see a button that says "Sign Up" while the real page has a button that says "Message."

Obvious Misspellings And Grammar Mistakes

Another thing to look for is in how the post reads. If you have a hard time reading it because of wrong punctuation or misspelled words, it's a scam page.

Blue Bell Scam Page Mistakes - Facebook
Blue Bell Scam Page Mistakes - Facebook
loading...

What does the "Sign Up" mean?

This is where they steal your personal information. When you comment and share, you will get a link through Facebook Messenger. That link will take you to a website where you will need to enter your information to "win" the prize.

Here is What the Web Page Looks Like:

Scam Webpage
Scam Webpage
loading...

Look at the webpage address:

Scam Webpage Address
Scam Webpage Address
loading...

Nowhere in that address does it have bluebell.com, Blue Bell's official webpage. This is a generic survey page that has been set up with the sole purpose of stealing your personal information.

Bottom Line

Bottom line is we do not want you or a relative or a friend to fall for a scam like this. These people are looking for only one thing, to steal your personal information so it can be used either against you or in a crime. If anyone shares this to you, delete it and let the person who shared it know it's a fake so they can start taking the measures to protect their personal information.

Winnsboro has a Cute Cabin Available for a Weekend Staycation

You don't have to travel to an exotic locale to have a moment of relaxation. Sometimes, it can be in our metaphorical backyard.

Texas is Home to 11 of the Most Unique Guinness Book World Records

Texas is known for a lot of things. What you may not know is that Texas is the holder of many different Guinness Book World Records. Let's take a look at 10 unique records that are still held today.

Buy This $40,000 Home in Kilgore But It Will Need a Lot of Work

The home market is still wonky across East Texas so if you find a cheap home, you'll probably need to put some work into it.

More From 107-3 KISS-FM