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October 13th, 2012, 17:51 GMT · By

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Best Buy, Experts Warn of Free Gift Card SMS Scams

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Best Buy scam site Enlarge picture - Best Buy scam site
Best Bay SMS scams are not new, but experts are starting to record a considerable increase in the number of complaints made by their victims.

Scambook anticipates that by mid-November, a total of 100,000 users may receive the scammy text messages on their phones. Even worse, experts estimate that the damages caused by these schemes will be over $40,000 (32,000 EUR).

The latest scam reads something like this: Your entry last month has WON! Go to BestBuyWin.net (BestBuyWin.mobi) and enter your winning code 5555 to claim your free $1,000 Best Buy gift card within 24 hours.

Of course, no one ever wins the free gift cards. The fine print on the shady websites reveals that “winners” must sign up for paid services and convince their friends to do the same.

Also, sensitive information is collected throughout the entire process.

Best Buy is aware of these phony SMS messages. The company says that it has taken a number of steps, including legal action, to stop these scams.

In the meantime, I advise you to be extra cautious if you receive such messages. Even if they look legitimate, they’re just part of a malicious plot.

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: PlanoJohn on 13 Oct 2012, 18:54 UTC reply to this comment

That would not be the first bogus text message i have received


Comment #2 by: WildFireBird on 14 Oct 2012, 14:58 UTC reply to this comment

Just got that this morning at 5am on my phone and knew I had not entered anything so thought I would do a search on it.


Comment #3 by: MG on 16 Oct 2012, 15:33 UTC reply to this comment

I received this email and I glad I found your posting that it is a scam.
The wording on the email was exactly the same as you described. Thank you for saving me time and trouble!


Comment #4 by: joey on 14 Nov 2012, 21:20 UTC reply to this comment

why don't Target or the other major retailers contact the FBI? Aside from consumer fraud & scams , their reputations are being damaged.

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