Walmart storefront.

Walmart Coupon: 85 Percent Off Any Storewide Purchase

The Walmart coupon hoax is one of many similar scams that has been spread via email and on social media over the years.

In this case, the hoax was promulgated by a Facebook account dubbed “Walmart USA” that is not affiliated with the company in any way. This particular fake offer appeared in a Facebook Live video post that was instantly viewed (and shared) thousands of times:

walmart coupon
A fake Facebook account is behind false rumors about a Walmart coupon for 85% off.

Viewers were encouraged to share the video and to comment “thanks Walmart,” which would (according to the scam) enable them to redeem the 85 percent off.

This is probably part of a”like farming” scam, in which promises of free products are used to generate thousands of “likes” for a page to make it look more popular, so that it can then be renamed, retooled, and then sold for an inflated price.

Walmart has a statement on their website making it clear that this offer (and any like it) is not legitimate:

Walmart does not offer gift cards via email, text messages, or through social media sites for “likes” or sharing a post. Walmart will only call or text you with offers if you opt-in to receive such messages

You can report suspected scams or fraud involving Walmart to the company here. Otherwise, as a general practice, always make sure that offers come from verified social media accounts and never give out personal information over social media to avoid similar scams.

For the record, “shopping week” doesn’t appear to be a thing anywhere, either.

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