Costco Coupon Offers $41 Off Purchase of $50 or More-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
In honor of the retail chain’s 41st anniversary, a Costco coupon for $41 off a $50 purchase began circulating on Facebook in October 2017.
The Truth:
Costco is not offering a coupon for $41 off of a $50 purchase to celebrate its 41st anniversary.
The fake Costco coupon that began circulating on Facebook in October 2017 is similar to previous survey scams and like-farming schemes that we’ve investigated.
In these scams, schemers posing as reputable brands (like Costco) promise free or discounted products on social media. When people click on those offers, they’re directed to a third-party website where they’re prompted to provide their personal information, to take a survey, or to like and share the post on social media.
However, these offers are not credible, and the schemers are in no way affiliated with the brands that they claim to represent. Take these simple steps to spot and avoid these type of scams:
- Pay close attention to the URL of the website — it’ll be slightly different than the company’s official web address (in this case, people are directed to costco-usa.win but Costco’s official site is costco.com).
- Only click on offers that come from a businesses’s official, verified social media account.
- Never provide your personal information to anyone on social media.
- Keep in mind that reputable businesses rarely (if ever) force you to like and share posts in order to receive free or discounted products.
We’ve investigated similar survey scams and like-farming schemes over the years, and the $41 Costco coupon offer is just the latest one.