There's a post going viral on Facebook right now that has a lot of people excited for a free meal at Longhorn Steakhouse, but I'm afraid I've got some bad news if you're one of those people.

In case you were unaware, in the world of social media, if you see a post that seems too good to be true...it usually is. Not to point fingers or anything, but there are some pretty gullible people out there that fall for every post they see. There is currently a post that is going viral that is offering free meal vouchers for Longhorn Steakhouse...and who wouldn't want a delicious free steak or parmesan-crusted chicken from there, right?

Viral Longhorn Steakhouse Post

The post in question here comes from the Facebook page LonghornSteakhouses Fans. Here's what the post says:

Hello everyone I’m Todd Burrowes Gorham. I am very happy to announce I’m the new CEO of longhorn steakhouse. I’d like to start my new job off with a good deed for everyone as I know recent times have been tough which is why I’m going to be rewarding everyone who shares&comments in the next 72 hours with a voucher to get meal for two at any longhorn steakhouse for lunch or dinner.

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Spoiler Alert: This is a SCAM!

It's actually oddly similar to a post that went viral about receiving free meal vouchers from Texas Roadhouse from the Facebook page, Texas Roadhouse's, that read:

I’m Gerald L.Morgan, CEO of texas roadhouses. I know times have been tough so to help everyone out I have a special surprise for everyone who shares&comments then. Every person who does this by Sep 29th can get a voucher. Each voucher can be used at any texas roadhouses restaurant to get a meal for two with drinks!

Now, I get it. People see the word "free" and assume they can save a few bucks. A deal like this would be hard to pass up for most. However, there are a lot of red flags with posts like this that scream "SCAM", but the reality is, not a lot of people will or have taken the time to see them.

How To Spot Scams On Facebook

First off, the page that this post came from is not even the real Longhorn Steakhouse account. It's not even spelled correctly. This account is called "LonghornSteakhouses Fans". So, the name on the account isn't properly spelled, and it's a "Fans" account. Red flag number one. With businesses or official pages like Longhorn, oftentimes, there will be a blue checkmark behind its name. That blue checkmark is important.  That checkmark means that is the actual person/business, any other profile is FAKE. It's important to know that so that you don't fall for false information or a potential scam.

Other Facebook Scams

In the past, there have been posts where "celebrities" as you to like, share, and comment on a post for the chance to win money. For example,  the Tyler Perry Facebook scam where people thought he was actually giving away money...even though it wasn't even his account. There have been other posts from fake Ellen accounts that want you to like, share, and comment for the chance to win some money. These posts, oftentimes, have a video attached to them. Don't fall for these things! If you were to just take the time to click on the video in these posts, you will see that these videos don't even mention giving away money. Not to mention, they are clearly fake accounts with misspelled names and no blue checkmark.

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Spotting "fake news" such as the Texas Roadhouse post should be common sense, but common sense isn't so common anymore. Here's some advice on what to do when you see a post like this. If you question if is legit or not, a simple Google search will help. If the page/site that posted the article/post in question is not a credible source (or if you don't know if it is credible or not), be sure to do a quick search on other news sites to see if that story is on there. Also, be sure to check out the date on the articles. You will see a lot of people share old posts without realizing that it already happened a few years ago. It may not be fake news, but it could be old news.

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