Scammers are always looking for new ways to trick people, and one of the latest schemes involves emails that appear to come from well-known brands like Costco or AAA. At first glance, the message may look legitimate, but it’s actually a phishing scam designed to steal your personal and financial information.
Here’s how it works:
You receive an email promising a free gift if you fill out a short survey. To make it sound more convincing, the email says you only need to pay a small shipping fee—and you’d better act quickly, because “only a few gifts are left.”
When you click the link, you’re taken to a website with a survey form. But the survey is fake, and so is the gift. If you provide your credit card details to cover the so-called “shipping,” the scammers now have direct access to your financial information. They can make unauthorized purchases, sell your data to other criminals, and even use your personal information to commit identity theft.
Don’t let this scam catch you off guard. Keep these tips in mind to stay safe:
Don’t pay shipping for a “free” gift. Legitimate companies will not ask for your credit card details to cover costs on a completely free promotion.
Go straight to the source. Instead of clicking links in an email, type the organization’s official website into your browser to verify if an offer is real.
Trust your instincts. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is—even if it looks like it came from a brand you know.
Scammers often use urgency and big promises to pressure you into acting quickly. By pausing before you click and double-checking the source, you can protect your personal and financial information from falling into the wrong hands.
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