May 15, 2017

The latest internet scam

"Your love of a good deal could be a deal breaker. Fake gift cards and coupons for Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Target and IKEA (phew!) have infiltrated the internet. On Facebook, the phishing scam is taking the form of a $50 coupon for Lowe’s and a $75 one for Bed Bath & Beyond. (Check out photos of the bogus bucks here and here). The coupons appear as posts and ads on the social media site. Once you click on them, you’re directed to fake websites or survey pop-ups that instruct you to answer a few questions in order to “earn” the coupons. The surveys, predictably, ask for your personal information (in order to steal your identity, and yada, yada, the rest is history). The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is telling consumers to beware of pop-up-type offers and to “watch out for a reward that's too good to be true” because “few businesses can afford to give away $50 gift cards for completing a few questions.” They also caution that it’s easy for scammers to mimic a company’s website by tacking on a company’s logo, using its letterhead or making the website address (URL) look similar. If you’re wondering about a particular offer, visit the company’s real website and see if it’s listed there. And remember, $75 off nothing equals...nothing!"
Source: 
A Consumer Action News Alert • May 2017 • www.consumer-action.org
SCAM GRAM is Consumer Action’s monthly e-newsletter alerting you to the dirtiest players in the world of tech fraud, credit card scams, ID theft and general con-artistry. Don’t be fooled by liars, cheats and crooks—wise up with SCAM GRAM!

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