14 DAY TRIAL // Scambook experts have issued a warning about scammy SMS messages designed to trick users into believing that they can win a $1,000 (800 EUR) gift card from Target if they visit the TargetContest.com website.
“Your entry last month WON! Go to TargetContests.com enter winning code 3847 to claim your FREE $1000.00 Target gift card within 24hrs,” the text messages read.
The website’s main goal is to collect personal information from the victims and convince them to get 3 of their friends to do the same.
Their privacy policy clearly states that they will share the information you provide with marketers and other companies, so if you hand over your details, you will surely be bombarded with all sorts of advertisements.
Over 100 individuals have already complained about the shady TargetContest.com messages. Around 100,000 users could be targeted by the scam in the upcoming three months.
It’s worth noting that although it may seem so, Target has nothing to do with this scheme. The crooks are leveraging the retailer’s name to make the scam more legitimate-looking.
Update. Here's some important advice on how you can report these spam messages and block the phone numbers they come from.