Fake Whitewater Facebook page was offering bogus €5,000 shopping voucher

Whitewater Shopping Centre has asked Facebook chiefs to shut down a fake page offering a bogus €5,000 shopping voucher at the Newbridge retail complex.

The unofficial account was running for several hours and had managed to attract almost 2,000 unsuspecting followers who had to 'Like' it to enter the competition.

However Whitewater bosses were alerted by customers and shop owners and they contacted Facebook to shut down the page.

A Whitewater spokesperson said: "Thank you to everyone who let us know about the Fake Page set up under the Whitewater name.

"We are currently working with Facebook and our marketing team to try to have it removed."

The fake page was later completely removed and people who tried to get back got the message below:

The owner of one store in Whitewater told KildareNow that bogus competitions for shopping centres on social media are quite common and can directly affect footfall.

The proprietor added: "In retail, more people talk about their bad experiences than the good experiences.

"Bad experiences can damage the image and reputation of a shopping centre and the stores involved."