Viral post claiming Facebook users stand a chance to win two free houses is a scam

What's the claim?

A Facebook post dated September 1 circulating on social media shows six photos of the interior and exterior of a small mobile home - a furnished cabin on wheels. The post claims that two users have a chance to win two free houses in September that could not be sold due to minor dents and scratches. To enter this purported giveaway, the post encouraged individuals to engage with the Facebook post by liking, sharing, and commenting on it.

The post's caption reads: "In September, we're giving away two beautiful houses that can't be sold due to minor dents and scratches. Although they are still in perfect condition, we've decided to offer them to two lucky individuals before September 17!!! To participate: 1 - Share 2 - Comment: Done 3 - Like our page." 

An archived version of the post can be found here. This post garnered over 2,000 likes, over 7,000 comments, and 8,600 shares.

A screenshot of a Facebook post alleging the giveaway of houses with minor dents and scratches deemed unsellable. (Souce: Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this giveaway is not legitimate and is a scam. The actual company selling the house featured in the Facebook post has confirmed to Logically Facts that they have no involvement in any giveaway; moreover, the house has already been sold.

What are the facts?

Upon conducting a reverse image search, we found that the Mint Tiny House Company had originally uploaded all of the images on July 5, 2018, to their Facebook page. This company, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, specializes in manufacturing Tiny House RVs and Park models, with its Facebook page showcasing various images of the exteriors and interiors of tiny houses. Notably, none of their official social media pages make any mention of a giveaway involving their mobile homes.

What did the Mint Tiny House Company say?

Logically Facts contacted Mint Tiny House Company to inquire about the alleged mobile home giveaway stated in the Facebook post. They responded, "We want to clarify that Mint Tiny House Company is not currently conducting a mobile home giveaway, nor are we affiliated with the Facebook page that shared this photo and any Facebook pages." The company's sales team also highlighted that they have never conducted any giveaways and clarified, "The homes featured in the post have been sold, and those photos were taken after installation on the client's property."

Further, on September 13, the company took to Facebook to warn users about the scam. They shared a screenshot of the deceptive Facebook post in question with a statement that read: "Some Facebook posts have been using our photos like this image for a supposed "free" giveaway of a tiny house." They clarified, "We want to be crystal clear: Mint Tiny House Company is NOT currently conducting a mobile home giveaway or any promo, and we are NOT affiliated with the Facebook page or business responsible for these posts in any form."

Screenshot from Mint Tiny House Company's September 13, 2023, Facebook post cautioning about the misuse of their photos in deceptive "free" tiny house giveaways. (Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)

This isn't the first instance where images from Mint Tiny House Company have been wrongly shared, falsely implying they are associated with a free house giveaway. Back in 2018, the company issued a warning about a scam that used their pictures for a fake free tiny house giveaway.

Several red flags suggest the post is not a legitimate giveaway. Firstly, the page claiming to host the giveaway lacks any apparent connections to reputable businesses that would typically offer two homes for free. While two images of houses dated August 21 are visible in their photos section, the supposed giveaway is the sole visible post on their page. 

Moreover, these scam posts encourage social media users to share and comment, with a likely ulterior motive of collecting personal information such as banking details and passwords. This pattern aligns with the tactics commonly employed by phishers who use fraudulent offers to gather likes and other forms of social media engagement. Logically Facts has previously debunked similar scam posts and other deceptive commercial giveaways, including a supposed Aldi giveaway, FTX's giveaway, and Kalyan Jewellers' 30th-anniversary 22-carat gold gift offer.

The verdict

The Facebook page promoting a free house giveaway is not affiliated with the company. The fraudulent promotion has taken old images posted by the tiny house manufacturer Mint Tiny House Company in 2018. Moreover, the company informed us that they are not conducting any form of giveaway, and the homes featured in the post have already been sold.