Monday, May 21, 2012

SMS Scam Offers $1,000 Best Buy Gift Card

Evil SMSDid you receive a text message saying you were randomly selected to receive a $1,000 Best Buy gift card?

Don’t worry, you are not alone.

Scammers have been pumping out fake Best Buy gift card winner text messages for years, encouraging recipients to click on a link and provide personal information to redeem their “prize.”

Sure, the sender’s phone number and URL may change from time to time, but the overall goal of getting folks to expose their personal information or complete special “reward offers” to get their Best Buy gift card remains the same.

Here is a copy of the smishing (SMS phishing) message that was sent to MY phone this morning:

Best Buy Gift Card Scam Text Message



From: 8156940714
You have been randomly selected for a $1000 BestBuy Card. Get your prize now at www.winningpage[.]net/?id=lchklpcwhy

Some folks have taken to Best Buy’s forums to verify the $1,000 offer and report the scam, and Best Buy employees monitoring the posts have confirmed that this is a scam and the text messages are not coming from Best Buy.

Did You Get the $1,000 Best Buy Gift Card Scam Text Message Too?


If you happen to receive a text message similar to this one, you are advised to:

  • Avoid clicking on any links included in the text message.

  • Refrain from providing any personal or financial information.

  • Delete the text message immediately.


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