Shopping Credit Points Scam: How It Works
When you do a lot of shopping both in-store & online it's hard to keep track of all those reward point systems, discounts & special offers you've accumulated. Therefore, it's nice when the stores send you reminders that some of your points are about to expire. However, there is an email going around claiming to be from a store in your town updating you on your points there. The problem is, the update and the call to action are nothing but a scam.
The email reads (see pic below):
"This is to update you on your available shopping credits. You have $75 in credits available. Your shopping credits will automatically be applied to your next order*. You are a valued customer for us! We hope to see you again soon."
"Click HERE to cash out your credit!"
"If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us."
"*Please note that if your credits are from a return, they will apply to the entire value of any order you place, including taxes and shipping. If your credits are from a promotion, they will only apply to the value of the products in any order you place. If a transaction has taken place since we checked your account for available credits, the amount listed above may no longer reflect the amount in your account."
The call to action is in the subject of the email, asking you to use the points before the end of this month. This way, scammers create the element of urgency, which gets a lot of people to send their personal information.
Shopping Credit Points Scam: How to Avoid
Look for the red flags. For example, this email comes from a non-existent domain located in the United Kingdom. It might work if you are from there, but the email is going around in the whole continent of North America as well. Also, the "From" header might have you as the sender, just like it happened in our case.
Last but not least, they carefully don't mention which store the points/credit the message is from, counting on you to click on their link which will likely result in a phishing attempt or a virus/malware download. Delete the email if any of these cases apply.
Shopping Credit Points Scam: How To Report
Make your family and friends aware of the Shopping Points Update Scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
Report Scammers To The FTC Here
How to protect yourself more:
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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I received mail which was"Click-N-ship Priority Mail with the numbers after this include the tracking number plus 00525000 0553-8611 2 Day (th) with "Catherine Roosevelt, 220 E. 4th St, New York, NY
10009-7425 as the sender in the return address. The expected Delivery date was 02/20/2015. Other information includes the numbers 0004 in bold on the left side and in a square box R006. The code for tracking is as follows: 9405 5036 9930 0493 4726 11
and 02/17/15 0-5 OZ mailed from 10009 062S0000001309. Om the outside front of the Priority Mail is the following ; EP14B July 2013 OD 10 X 6 PS 00001000012 and ‘Electronic Rate Approved #038555749 Inside it contained a "Cashiers Check" for $2, 780.00 with instructions to keep $300.00 for my oommision snd to send from the check $1,285 to the followingOn Tue, Feb 24, 2015 at 3:10 PM, Damon Mayer MS.CO. wrote:
DETAILS 1: $1,285 with transfer changes
Name: FRED KALAD
ADRESS: 12 Valero St.
City Makati
State: Manila]
Country: Philippines
Zip code 1200
and also to":
NAME: jOHN ZAPATA
ADDRESS: 56 H.V. Dela Costs Street
CITY Makati
STATE : Manlia
COUNTRY: Philippines
Zip; 1227
The Bank of America at 304 New Byhalia Rd. Collierville, TN 38017 still has possession of the check.. I have all the other original information at my home address should you want to have them.
Best Regards
Harold G. Jordening
Msgt. USAF (Ret)
Hello,
I am writing to confirm if you have received the package for the mystery shopper job that was sent via USPS,the package contains a check and a letter on how the assignment is mean to be carried.
Kindly back to me with an update.
Thanks
DamonOn Tue, Feb 24, 2015 at 3:10 PM, Damon Mayer MS.CO. wrote:
Hello,
I am writing to confirm if you have received the package for the mystery shopper job that was sent via USPS,the package contains a check and a letter on how the assignment is mean to be carried.
Kindly back to me with an update.
Thanks
Damon