FACT CHECK: Is McDonald’s Offering 2 Free Big Mac Meals To Everyone Who Shares This Link?
A viral Facebook post claims fast food chain McDonald’s will give two free Big Mac meals to everyone who shares a specific link.
Verdict: False
The link appears to be a scam. A spokesperson for McDonald’s confirmed that the coupon is “not a legitimate offer.”
Fact Check:
The post, which features an image of the supposed coupon, redirects social media users to a website that bears the McDonald’s logo and asks users to select their favorite “combo meal” from four options. It requires users to answer the question and share the link to claim the one-time coupon that’s allegedly valid from March 29 to April 30.
“McDonald’s is helping out!” reads text on the website. “Just tell us what is Yor (sic) favorite meal and get 2 FREE big Mac Meals for a Month!” (RELATED: Can Inhaling Hot Air From A Sauna Or Hair Dryer Kill Coronavirus?)
The link and its coupon offer are a scam, however. The website’s URL doesn’t match that of the official McDonald’s website, and it does not at any point provide access to a valid coupon or voucher. A spokesperson for McDonald’s confirmed in an email to the Daily Caller that the link is “not a legitimate offer.”
Some McDonald’s franchisees have provided free meals to health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Costa Enterprises, which owns 24 McDonald’s restaurants in northwest Florida, said in a Facebook post that it served more than 9,000 free meals to local hospital employees between March 18 and March 31.
In-person dining at corporate-owned McDonald’s locations in the U.S. has been closed since March 16, according to a press release.