$100 Kohl's coupon circulating on Facebook is a scam, fact-checkers warn
Cybersecurity expert and Center for Digital Government senior fellow Morgan Wright discuss how scammers are using texts and spoofed numbers to trick people out of their money. He also discusses whether we should be suspicious of the social media app ‘TikTok’ because it is Chinese-owned.
A purported coupon for Kohl’s that’s been going around on Facebook is actually a scam.
The phony voucher claims to offer $100 off in celebration of the department store’s 57th anniversary. However, the offer didn’t come from Kohl’s or any of the chain’s partners, a company spokesperson told FOX Business.
This is a common scam, according to fact-checking website Snopes. When someone clicks on the Facebook post, they’re led to a survey that hits them up for personal info like email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates and even credit card numbers. After sharing private details, the person learns that they have to sign up for expensive services or subscriptions in order to claim the “free” coupon.
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Customers leave the Kohl's store in Westminster, Colorado.
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To spread the bogus coupon, people who want the deal are encouraged to share the Facebook post, according to Snopes.
Similar scams have targeted many well-known retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, Dollar General and Lowe’s.
Worried about falling for one of these scams? The Better Business Bureau offers some tips on how to spot them:
- Don’t believe what you see. It’s easy for scammers to nab logos and other legit details from a company to make their "bologna" look less phony.
- Never share your credit card info when signing up for a giveaway or coupon. Legitimate businesses won’t ask for that.
- Google it. Look for it on the company’s website. Double-check whether a deal is real by searching for news stories about it.
- Do the promises add up? Many scams will promise one offer in an email subject line and something different in the body of the email.
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The scam came to light on the heels of Kohl’s Corp.'s disappointing third-quarter earnings report, which left the company cutting its forecast for the year. The company has been struggling as shoppers have increasingly turned to the internet and apparel prices have declined.
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FOX Business’ Jonathan Garber contributed to this report.