$200 Belk Gift Card-Scam!
Summary of eRumor:
A post about a $200 Belk gift card is making the rounds on Facebook.
The Truth:
A viral Facebook post about a $200 Belk gift card is a scam.
The scam surfaced in late February 2016 when a post promising a $200 in-store coupon for Belk began making the rounds.
The retailer quickly shot the rumor down and said the offer was not sponsored or authored by Belk:
These scams typically encourage victims to like, share and comment on the post in order to redeem an offer for free products and services. Then, victims will be directed to a website outside of Facebook where they’re asked to input personal information or take a “brief survey.”
These scams can be used for several reasons. Scammers can sell their victims personal information to third-party marketers, or they can engage in “Like Farming.” That happens when a scammer uses a fake offer for free products or services to generate lots of likes and comments on a Facebook page. Then, once all that activity drives up the page’s visibility on Facebook, the scammers will sell it to a third-party for a profit.
In general, avoid any coupons or special offers that come directly from a company’s official Facebook page or website. Also, reputable companies will never ask their customers for personal information on social media, so consider that a red flag when it happens.