Cell phone users across the country are receiving suspicious text messages that claim to be from Walmart. The texts tell consumers they won a free gift card... and all they have to do is click a link and enter some information.
Unfortunately, there is no gift card. It's a scam to steal your credit card number and other personal info.
About the scam:
This scam has several versions. In one, the text reads "You just won a free $1000 Walmart Gift Card, enter "1000" at LINK." In another, it says: "Walmart $1000 gift card for the first 1000 users to go to LINK and enter code 2938." The texts also use different URLs, including:
• promocenterdaily.com/walmart_gift
• promocenter.ws/walmart
• walmartgift.mobi
The text message is a twist on the classic email phishing scam, where scammers pose as a legitimate organization and send out emails containing links to scam sites. Phishing scams using SMS technology are known as "smishing."
Walmart Website Posting
March 9, 2012 -- There has been a sudden increase in scam text messages referring people to a site where they can “claim a Walmart Gift Card” by entering certain private personal information. These attacks that take place through SMS text message technologies to personal mobile phones are scams and are in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Walmart. This type of scam has come to be known as “Smishing” because of the use of SMS text technology. Similar to the way scam web sites send “Phishing” emails, scam artists have been sending text messages offering free Walmart gift cards to consumers in exchange for entering information on a mobile website. The most popular website being used recently is called “walmartgift.mobi”. This site is not owned, operated by, or affiliated with Walmart. Any site can be used for this scam and users are often asked for private personal information including credit card numbers or social security numbers. Providing this type of information is very likely to lead to identity theft or credit card fraud.
These text messages and the sites being used are not from Walmart and Walmart is not associated with parties promoting this activity. Walmart will never initiate a text message where we ask for sensitive personal data like credit card information or social security numbers. Click here to learn how to report text message SPAM.
For additional information on how to avoid scams and identity theft, please visit our Protect Your Identity & Privacy section.
If you feel that you have been defrauded, you may want to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at http://www.ftc.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP, or the Consumer Protection Division of your state's Attorney General's office.
