IN SHORT: A N50,000 bonus from MSport sounds enticing. But the Facebook account asking you to send a direct message to claim it might be out to scam you. Users are encouraged to rather visit MSport’s website and follow their official social media platforms for any promotions.
“If you have a verified MSport account that has been active then there’s a 50k bonus for you and of course it’s free.kindly send us a message to get yours now,” reads an 8 July 2023 post on the Facebook account Msport active bonus.
The account uses the name and logo of MSport, a well-known betting site in Nigeria. On the legitimate site users can fund their accounts, make predictions about upcoming matches and place bets.
The Facebook post features a photo of a group of people wearing T-shirts with the MSport logo and name. They’re also holding a banner with the company’s name and logo. The post has attracted over 100 comments.
Similar posts can be found here, here, here, here and here.
Signs of a scam
The official Facebook page of the company is MSport, quite different from “Msport active bonus”. The company does not appear to have a separate Facebook account for bonuses or giveaways.
The official account has over 100,000 followers, while the suspicious page only has nine.
MSport’s Facebook page links to its website, which in turn directs users to all its social media accounts. The suspicious page has no website link and its “page transparency” section shows that it was created on 8 July 2023. The official page was created in September 2019.
MSport Nigeria is also licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to operate as a gambling platform in the country.
The suspicious page asks users to send a private message to claim their bonuses. This is a technique frequently used by con artists to steal people's money or personal information.
MSport gifts and bonuses
MSport has called users' attention to a similar claim of a N40,000 bonus offer. "Please note that this is a fraudulent message broadcasted by some fraudsters in your region," reads a post on MSport’s X page.
Every bonus or gift found on the platform’s website requires users to perform certain tasks in order to win. Africa Check found no promotions from MSport that asked users to send a direct message.
To help protect yourself against online scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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