Callaway sometimes gets asked about online giveaways, offers of free product, and other social media or email promotions. While we offer legitimate promotions and sweepstakes on our own company websites and social media accounts, it is very important to recognize and avoid fake advertisements, malicious websites, and offers related to product giveaways from scammers.
Here are several things to be aware of to protect yourself from becoming a victim of online scams:
“Too Good to Be True” Product Giveaways:
Scammers often use stories in attempts to deceive consumers. Beware of advertising that might appear on social media accounts stating things such as “Callaway is giving free Golf Sets to golfers over 40! Answer 4 questions for delivery.” Quite often, these posts lead to links where scammers seek to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) or payments from unsuspecting targets and have no intention of delivering the offered products.
Fraudulent emails, Phishing Sites, and False Advertisements:
Scammers will sometimes copy emails or clone/spoof websites from legitimate companies like Callaway to trick you into giving the scammers your personal information, financial information, and passwords. To avoid these “phishing” methods and fraudulent tactics, always make sure that the URL address, sender’s email, or weblink matches the name of the company that it claims to be from. Watch out for small typos in domain names and email addresses such as “Calloway” “Calaway” “Odysey”, etc. Be wary when the message requests personal information, like a credit card number or account password. Enter our URL directly (www.callawaygolf.com) to avoid fraudulent results that search engines might sometimes yield. Make sure that you shop only on secure, encrypted websites (e.g., those with “https” in the address bar).
Read the Fine Print: If an offer seems too good to be true, double-check the details. Limited time offers are often used to get you to act urgently without thinking things through. Also make sure that you understand the return policy and possibility of recurring charges. Buy only from authorized Callaway retailers and pay with a secure method offering fraud protection.
If we can be of further assistance, call our customer service number at (800) 588-9836.