Fake discounted fishing bait offers circulate on Facebook

A number of posts on Facebook claiming fishing bait company Mainline Baits is selling discounted products to people who fill in a survey are not true, the company has confirmed.

The posts refer to “Mainline Carp”, but we could find no company under this name, and many of the posts are accompanied by images of what appear to be Mainline Baits products, such as ‘Impact’ and ‘Mainline Baits Cell”, that feature the company’s logo and branding.

Some posts claim the “surplus” goods being sold are “bait, boilies and a box of tackle” for £9.95, while another says people could receive “full fishing kits and tackle boxes” for £9.

The full text of one post says: “If you’re over 45, read this till the end – it’s ending in late August! My brother’s daughter works as a manager for the Mainline Carp website. Right now, they’re clearing out stock before the new season, and instead of keeping the surplus in storage, they’re offering it to us for just £9. All you have to do is fill out a short form – I’ve dropped the link in the comments below.

“I’ve been carp fishing for over 30 years, and getting a full set of bait, boilies, and a box of tackle for that price felt like an absolute gift. The whole thing took less than a minute – just a few simple questions. If you’re like me and usually spend a good bit on every fishing trip, this is a great way to save – but you’ve got to be quick!

“Everyone in my fishing group is already placing orders – not just for themselves, but even under their wives’ names (as long as the age matches).”

The profile then encourages people to visit a link shared in the comments of the post. This link takes people to a website where they are told they have a “unique opportunity to win a Fishing Set” by filling in a survey.

This website features the Mainline Baits logo on its landing page, as well as the icon of the website. The website is titled ‘Mainline Baits’, but the URL does not match that of the real Mainline Baits website, and the design does not match that of the company’s actual website.

Mainline Baits confirmed the offer was not real when Full Fact contacted them about the posts.

We’ve written before about other fake offers we’ve seen on social media for restaurants, retailers and brands.

It’s always worth checking if a deal you see on social media has been shared by a company’s official page, which will typically have lots of followers, a verified blue tick on platforms like Facebook or Instagram and a significant post history.