Warn Your Friends: This Popular Mother's Day Coupon Is a Scam
Heads up: There's a new scam making the rounds on social media this week. If you see this enticing Lowe's coupon circulating on Facebook, don't click on it!
That $50 off Lowe’s coupon on Facebook is fake: https://t.co/D3NCF8L8jE #KAKEnews pic.twitter.com/Oz8UOqSxcM
- KAKE News (@KAKEnews) April 24, 2017
A Lowe's coupon offering $50 off in honor of Mother's Day is circulating on Facebook, but the coupon is a phishing scam, according to KAKE News, an affiliate of ABC News. After clicking on the coupon offer, users are directed to a fraudulent site that resembles Lowes.com, where they're required to take a survey and provide personal information. It's all a part of a scheme to steal information from consumers, which could lead to identity theft and further problems.
Lowe's set the record straight by issuing a statement this week, according to WSB-TV Atlanta:
"Please be careful when responding to any pop up ad either online or via social media; as, more often than not, the offer of gift cards or other prizes to customer's in the guise of specific company are set up to get your personal information for nefarious purposes."
They also responded to various Facebook users who saw the post. "These coupons are not offers extended by Lowe's," the company wrote on Facebook. "It is a scam and Lowe's is unable to honor the coupon." Right now, it's unclear who's behind the scam.
In order to avoid further schemes shared online, The Better Business Bureau advises people to to follow these guidelines:
"Don't believe what you see. It's easy to steal the colors, logos and header of an established organization. Scammers can also make links look like they lead to legitimate websites and emails appear to come from a different sender. Legitimate businesses do not ask for credit card numbers or banking information on customer surveys. If they do ask for personal information, like an address or email, be sure there's a link to their privacy policy. Watch out for a reward that's too good to be true. If the survey is real, you may be entered in a drawing to win a gift card or receive a small discount off your next purchase. Few businesses can afford to give away $50 gift cards for completing a few questions."
So watch out for this tricky scam, and warn your friends and family, too.
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