CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scoring a great deal this holiday season is exciting. Unfortunately, con artists are using that same feeling of excitement to lure shoppers into scams.
A new scam making the rounds involves text messages and fake customer surveys to steal valuable personal information from unsuspecting victims.
Here's how it works. Scammers will send someone a text message that appears to be from a well-known store. As part of a holiday "deal," the store offers a free product, discount or gift card to anyone who completes a short survey. Of course, they explain this is a limited-time offer and you must act fast if you want to get the gift.
If you click the link, you won't go to the store's website. Instead, it will take you to a third-party website where you'll be asked to fill out a form with your personal information. Things like your name, address, email and more. Just clicking the link could download malware onto your device, giving scammers access to even more personal information.
There are a few ways you can avoid falling victim to these tactics.
Know the signs of a phony text message
Unsolicited text messages usually aren't from a trustworthy source. Reputable businesses will get your permissions to send you a text before sending anything, especially a coupon. Fake texts often contain suspicious-looking links and have typos in them.
If it sounds too good to be true ... it probably is
Remember that legitimate businesses run surveys to understand their customers. They may offer a modest discount to encourage participation, but the reward is not the focus. If someone offers you something valuable in exchange for completing a two-minute survey, it's probably a scam.
"Act now" is a red flag
Scammers often use a sense of urgency to get their victims to hand over valuable information without thinking. Be careful if a text message gives you a time limit. Don't let yourself be pushed into action without really examining the message first.
Who's sending it?
Remember, scammers conceal their identity. Many scam surveys are vague about their purpose and who is running them. If you can't figure out who or where the survey is coming from, don't take it.