Numerous social media posts have claimed that Samsung in Cambodia is offering significant discounts on online orders. These advertisements have attracted considerable attention from Cambodian social media users, but these promotions have been found to be online scams.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
In a social media post in late July, Samsung Electronics announced that it was offering up to 80% off the Galaxy Watch 6.
The discount is a celebration of the company’s 55th anniversary and the 13th anniversary of the company’s entry into the Cambodian market.
These promotions were widely shared on social media and attracted significant attention from Facebook users.
Below is an excerpt from a social media post dated July 29, 2024, which is described in English: “On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Samsung brand in 1969 – 2024 in Korea and the 13th anniversary of the establishment of the Samsung Service Electronic Cambodia empire. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who supported us during the past period with a sweepstakes program that gave us the opportunity to receive a discount coupon of up to 78% for the best-selling smartwatch product line in 2023 – Samsung Galaxy Watch6. Thank you for always accompanying us in using Samsung products during the past period.” ។
Facebook post | Archived
In addition to the English ad, another ad in Khmer was placed at the end of July, announcing that Samsung Cambodia would offer a 70% discount to the first 200 customers to order headsets.
The subject of the promotion is the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. To receive the discount, customers must register using a link provided in the ad.
Below is an excerpt from a social media campaign dated July 26, 2024, which states:
“Special offer, up to 70% off! Samsung Cambodia is celebrating the second anniversary of its launch. To commemorate the past and thank our customers who have always supported Samsung, we are offering the first 200 customers 70% off the popular Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro series.”
Facebook post | Archived link
A similar promotion was also announced in Burmese, offering up to 70% off the Samsung Watch 5. The ad noted that the discount was applicable to customers who ordered through the links provided in the social media ads.
Facebook post | Archived link
The same information was not only shared by Cambodian social media users but also posted on Facebook by users from other countries.
Facebook post | Archived link
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo Cambodia has reviewed and verified the above ad by consulting with Samsung Electronics, their Cambodian representatives and digital security experts. This investigation revealed the following facts:
First, these Facebook pages are neither affiliated with Samsung in South Korea nor with official Facebook pages of companies authorized to distribute and sell Samsung products.
Samsung’s Facebook page in Cambodia has only 10 followers and was created on July 26, 2024. In contrast, Samsung’s official Facebook page in Cambodia has up to 161 million followers and has a blue verification badge verified by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
We didn’t find any promotions with up to 80% discount on smartwatches on Samsung’s official Facebook page.
Even Samsung’s official Facebook page, Samsung Electronics, did not offer any discounts for the global market like those advertised on the unofficial page.
In addition, the link posted in the ad does not lead to the official website of Samsung Electronics or any authorized distributor of Samsung products in Cambodia.
Samsung’s official Facebook page confirms that the official website is https://www.samsung.com and is available in Thai.
Below is a screenshot of the homepage of Samsung Electronics official website for Cambodia and Thailand.
Social media rewards have been around for years and are often classified as scams by digital security experts.
Earlier this year, the Interior Ministry’s Technology Crime Unit warned of the risks to users and advertisers, particularly with regard to the sharing of personal information.
Facebook post | Archived link
Digital security trainer Chhit Kanika points out that the names of well-known companies have long been used in misleading advertising.
She added that these massive discount promotions are phishing attacks designed to trick social media users into clicking on links or revealing personal information.
Ms. Kanika advised social media users not to participate in such promotions and to be cautious while following any instructions, warning that leaking of personal information could lead to malicious purposes by individuals.
DIPLOMA
Fact Crescendo Cambodia has found that Samsung’s announcement of offering huge discounts on smartwatches and earphones is false. This advertisement is a hoax circulating on social media and online platforms.
Title:Fake Samsung discounts used in online phishing scam
Fact check by: Fact Crescendo Team
Result: INCORRECT
