Survey Scam Gets A Holiday Twist

Scoring a great deal is exciting.  Unfortunately, con artists are using the same feeling of excitement to lure shoppers into scams by using text messages and fake customer surveys to steal valuable information.

How the scam works

Scammers send a text message that appears to be from a well-known chain store.  As part of a holiday deal, the “store” is offering a free product, discount, or gift card in exchange for completing a short questionnaire or survey.

If you click the link, you won’t be directed to the store’s official website.  Instead, you will be directed to a third-party website to fill out a form that asks for personal information, such as your full name, address, email and more. By clicking on the link, you may even download malware onto your device, giving scammers access to even more personal information.

How to avoid fake survey scams

Know the signs of a phony text message. Unsolicited text messages are usually not from trustworthy sources.  Legitimate businesses will get your permission to send you a text before sending anything to your inbox.  Fake texts often contain suspicious-looking links and contain typos and other errors, too.

Be skeptical of personal information requests. Legitimate companies typically won’t ask for sensitive personal information, like your Social Security number, credit card details, or address, just to complete a survey.

Avoid clicking on unknown links.  Never click on unsolicited survey links, especially from unknown sources.  Instead, go directly to the official website of the company to see if they are offering a legitimate survey.  You can also do an internet search using the survey name followed by  the word “scam” to see if there are any reports about it being fake.

Watch out for rewards that sound too good to be true. 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 a valuable product or gift card in exchange for completing a two-minute survey, it’s probably a scam.

Limited time offers could be a red flag.  Scammers often use a sense of urgency to get victims to hand over valuable information without thinking.  Be careful if a text message says something like, “If you complete this survey in the next 10 minutes, you’ll win a prize!”  Don’t let yourself be pushed into action without really examining the message first.

Remember that scammers conceal their identity. Many scam surveys are very 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.

Report it.  If you’ve experienced this scam or another scam, report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.  Your report helps to warn others of the scams taking place in the marketplace. 

Information provided by the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin.