Butler County woman warns of scammers preying on fans of popular Facebook page

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A Butler County woman is warning others of a scheme that sought to con her out of more than $200.

Freebie Mom is a Facebook fan page that offers giveaways twice a day and has more than 3 million likes.%

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Candi Van Tine entered a giveaway on the page to win a pool and said she couldn’t believe it when she was told she won much more.

"A million dollars? When I only entered for a pool,” she said.

Van Tine said she got a message from a person who claimed to be from the site, asking for information, including Van Tine’s age, job and address.

"They said we had to hurry up and take care of it right away. They wanted me to give them money right away and take care of it,” she said.

The person who messaged Van Tine asked for more than $200, saying the fee would go toward paying for legal documents so she could get the winnings.

"That's a scam because you shouldn't have to pay anything. If you won something, you should just get it. You shouldn't have to pay for it,” Candi Van Tine’s sister, Dawna Van Tine, said.

Candi Van Tine said she refused to pay and knew something wasn’t right.

Candi Van Tine said she’s disappointed she didn’t win, but had advice for others who might be looking for giveaways on the internet.

"If they ask you for money, don't give them any,” she said.

The owner of the Freebie Mom Facebook page said she’s aware that people try to use the page to take advantage of people and emphasized that anyone who wins will never be asked to pay anything.

Cox Media Group