Today’s scam of the day comes again from my own email. I received an email purporting to be from Kohl’s asking me to complete a survey and receive a $25 gift card just for completing the survey. Generally when you receive this kind of an email promising a gift card at a retail store or restaurant, they are scams. Sometimes when you click on the survey, you end up downloading keystroke logging malware that can steal all of your personal information from your computer, smartphone or tablet that is used to make you a victim of identity theft. Other times, in the fine print of the survey, you may find that you have agreed to receive advertising and text messages from companies that may or may not be legitimate. Rarely do you receive the promised card.
Here is a copy of the email that I received:
| Are You Ready for Some Summer Fun? |
| With sunny skies and rising temperatures, summer is finally on its way. Are you excited for summer this year? Tell us all about it! What’s your go to summer accessory? Are you looking forward to summer fashion savings? Share your thoughts today and claim your $25 Kohl’s Gift Card! |
| All You Need to Do is: |
| 1. Register 2. Complete the Survey 3. Claim Your $25 Kohl’s Gift Card |
TIP
Because you just can’t be sure who is sending you the email, the best course of action is to ignore it and avoid a potential identity theft threat or receiving needless spam. If you are enticed by the email, you might also consider contacting the company directly and learning about how to participate in any gift card promotion without having to risk identity theft.