What was claimed
Chester Zoo is offering a prize giveaway on Facebook, shared by a page called ‘The Chester Wildlife Park’.
Our verdict
The official Chester Zoo Facebook page has confirmed that this is not a genuine offer.
Chester Zoo is not offering a giveaway through ‘Chester Wildlife Park’ Facebook profile
13 June 2023
A Facebook post written as if it was shared by Chester Zoo is offering a fake giveaway. The official Chester Zoo page has warned that this is not a genuine offer.
The post appeared on a Facebook profile called “The Chester Wildlife Park” on 3 June. The profile has the same display picture as the official Chester Zoo Facebook page, which has a blue tick and over one million followers.
The post says: “We're thrilled to announce an exciting giveaway exclusively for our incredible Facebook community! In celebration of our beloved Chester Zoo and the unwavering support from our loyal visitors, we're offering a chance to win an unforgettable day at our sanctuary for you and your lucky friends!”
It goes on to list the prizes supposedly on offer, which include four free tickets to the zoo, a VIP guide and a lunch for two people. It also contains a link to “register your details”, which has “Chester Wildlife Park” in its website address, rather than Chester Zoo.
The official Chester Zoo Facebook page has issued a warning about the account and offer, which it described as a “fake competition”, and asked its followers to report it. Its warning includes a screenshot of a version of the fake giveaway posted on 28 May that appears to be identical to the post shared on 3 June.
We have contacted Chester Zoo for a comment and will update the article if we receive a response.
This type of post is extremely common. Full Fact has previously written many fact checks about similar posts advertising fake giveaways, including free meals at popular chain restaurants and cheap deals for items such as air fryers or electric scooters at retailers.
It is always best to check for tell-tale signs that a post may be fake before sharing or engaging with it. This includes the post appearing on a page that may contain spelling errors or be a variation on an official brand name with a short history and few followers.
Image courtesy of Carol Walker
This article is part of our work fact checking potentially false pictures, videos and stories on Facebook. You can read more about this—and find out how to report Facebook content—here. For the purposes of that scheme, we’ve rated this claim as false because the official Chester Zoo page has warned that the offer is not genuine.