Survey scam gets a holiday twist

Scoring a great deal this holiday season is exciting. Unfortunately, con artists are using that same feeling of excitement to lure shoppers into scams. This con uses text messages and fake customer surveys to steal valuable information from unsuspecting victims.

How the scam works

Scammers send you a text message that appears to be from a well-known chain store. As part of a holiday deal, the “store” is offering a free product, discount or gift card to anyone who completes a short questionnaire or survey. Of course, they explain, this is a limited-time offer, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to receive your gift.

If you click the link, you won’t go to the store’s official website. Instead, it will take you to a third-party website where you’ll be asked to fill out a form that asks you for personal information such as your full name, address, email and more. By clicking the link, you may even download malware onto your device, giving scammers access to even more personal information. Watch out for similar survey scams, even after the holidays.

How to avoid fake survey scams

Know the signs of a phony text message. Unsolicited text messages are usually not from trustworthy sources. Reputable businesses will get your permission to send you a text before sending anything to your inbox. Fake texts often contain suspicious-looking links, typos and other errors.

Be skeptical of personal information requests. Legitimate companies typically won't ask for sensitive personal information such as your Social Security number, credit card details or full address just to complete a survey.

Avoid clicking unknown links. Never click unsolicited survey links, especially from unknown sources. Instead, go directly to the official website of the company to see if they're offering a legitimate survey.

Watch out for rewards that sound too good to be true. Remember legitimate businesses run surveys to understand their customers. They may offer a modest discount to encourage participation, but the reward is not the focus. If someone offers you a valuable product or gift card in exchange for completing a two-minute survey, it’s probably a scam.

Limited-time offers could be a red flag. Scammers often use a sense of urgency to get their victims to hand over valuable information without thinking. Be careful if a text message says something like, “If you complete this survey in the next 10 minutes, you'll win a prize!” Don’t let yourself be pushed into action without really examining the message first.

Remember scammers conceal their identity. Many scam surveys are very vague about their purpose and who is running them. If you can’t figure out who or where the survey is coming from, don’t take it.

Do some research. If you are unsure about a survey, do an internet search to find out more information. Look for links to the survey on a business’ official website. You also can do a search using the survey name and the word “scam” to see if there are any reports about it being fake. You also can check BBB Scam Tracker to see if there are any reports of the survey or look up the survey company on www.BBB.org to see their rating and if they are BBB accredited.