A new twist on an old scam uses a Target gift card offer to dupe Facebook users – proving once again that if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
If you’re an avid Target shopper you’d love to get your hands on a free gift card, right?
That’s exactly what some scammers are counting on and they’re using your own friends to do their dirty work.
At first glance, the hoax looks like your Facebook friend is giving you the heads up on a great deal.
The post often varies, but the one thing that remains the same is that you’ll be asked to text the word TARGET to a specified number to get a free gift card.
The problem is, it’s a scam calling “smishing.”
It’s like phishing, but instead of clicking on a link in the Facebook post, the hacker will send you one via text message.
Once you click on the link, the scammer will usually ask you for personal information; social security number, credit card information, etc..
According to Snopes, the hackers may even use bots to share the scam with your Facebook friends without you even knowing.
What can you do to keep from falling for online scams? Good Housekeeping has the following suggestions:
- Be wary of links sent from an unknown number.
- Keep an eye out for bad grammar or any typos.
- Be careful with your personal info.
- When in doubt, contact the company directly.
And remember – if something sounds too good to be true – it most likely is.
