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In November 2018, a scam tempting Facebook users with Walmart Black Friday and Thanksgiving promotional coupon offers, for $50 off and 85% off, began circulating on social media: These fake offers were just another variation of a long-running form of scam with a familiar pattern. First, scammers set up look-alike websites and social media pages that mimic those of legitimate companies in order to promote scams advertising free gift cards or coupons. Users who respond to those fake offers are required to share a website link or social media post in order to spread the scam more widely and lure in additional victims. Then those users are presented with a survey that extracts personal information such as email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and even sometimes credit card numbers. Finally, those who wish to claim their free gift cards or coupons eventually learn they must first sign up to purchase a number of costly goods, services, or subscriptions (negating the free aspect of the offer). The Better Business Bureau offers three tips to identify similar gift card/coupon scams:
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