The fake restaurant offer on WhatsApp

You get a message in a group or from a friend: a famous restaurant chain is giving 50% off every Wednesday, or a free meal for the first thousand people. There is a link. It looks like a good deal, and it came from someone you know.

This is one of the most common patterns on WhatsApp, and it shows how a fake address can look completely believable. This guide walks through how the scam works, why the address fools people, and how to check an offer in under a minute.

The address below is made up to show the pattern. It is not a real brand or website.

What the scam looks like

A typical message reads something like this:

Wednesday special! 50% off for everyone. Claim now: brandname-offers.co.in/wednesday. Share with 5 groups to unlock your coupon.

1. The message arrives from someone you trust. A friend forwarded it, or it is in a family or society group, so you assume it is fine. Often their account has been used, or they fell for it first.
2. The link opens a polished page. It copies the brand’s colours and logo. It may even show a countdown.
3. You are asked to share it. To “unlock” the coupon you must send it to several groups. That is how the scam spreads without the scammer doing any work.
4. Then it asks for something. Your phone number and an OTP, your card details to pay a “delivery fee”, or an app to install.

Why the address fools people

brandname-offers.co.in contains a well-known brand’s name, so it feels official. But a web address is just a name that anyone can register. The real brand’s own site belongs to the brand alone. Any other address, even one that contains the name, is a different website.

The part of an address that tells you who owns it is the name just before the first single slash, with its ending (here, co.in). Words to the left, joined by hyphens or dots, can be anything. Our guide to reading a link shows how to find that part in two seconds.

What the fake page wants

Even when the offer is “free”, the page usually asks for something:

• Your phone number and an OTP. The OTP may be the one that approves a payment or logs into one of your accounts.
• Card details for a small “delivery” or “booking” fee.
• An app install, “to claim your coupon”.
• Personal details, which can be reused in other scams against you or your contacts.

A free coupon never needs an OTP, a card, or an app from a link.

Signs it is a fake

• It spreads by forwarding, with pressure to forward again.
• The offer is too generous, and only for a short time.
• The address is not the brand’s own, or it is a shortened link.
• The page asks for an OTP, a PIN, or payment for something that is meant to be free.
• The brand’s own app and website say nothing about it.

What to do

• Do not tap, and do not forward. Forwarding helps the scam.
• Check in the brand’s own app or website. Real offers are shown there. If it is not in the official app, treat it as fake.
• Check the link without opening it. Paste it into the RIEG link checker.
• Tell the person who sent it. Their account may be compromised, and the group needs to know.
• If you already entered details, follow these steps straight away.
• If you lost money, here is how to report it.

The bigger lesson

A fake offer is a classic piece of phishing: a believable bait, a hurry, and an action that moves you away from the official place. If you want the full picture, read what phishing is and how it works. The habit that protects you is simple: when a deal arrives by message, check it where the brand really lives before you trust it.