"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:
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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