A Facebook scam that has to do with Lowe’s Home Improvement is making the rounds again.
The post being circulated claims Lowe’s is offering $50 off coupons for Mother’s Day.
After clicking on the post to claim your coupon, you are taken to what appears to be an official Lowe’s survey site (pay close attention to the URL in your browser’s address bar). In reality, this page is a fake and the survey is designed to steal your information.
Here’s what that survey site looks like:
Similar posts have surfaced on Facebook in the past, but all of the offers have two things in common — there is no coupon and the companies mentioned in the posts are not participating in the “promotion.”
Customers on Facebook are asking Lowe’s if the coupon is legit, and Lowe’s has confirmed that the offer is definitely a scam, according to KTLA sister station WNEP in Scranton.
“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 a specific company are set up to get your personal information for nefarious purposes.”
The Better Business Bureau offers these tips for helping you identify a scam on Facebook:
- 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.