Monday, January 9, 2012

Don't Get Burned by the $100 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card Scam

Ah, yes. There’s nothing like getting the day started with a hot cup of scam with a few surveys sprinkled with reward offers on the side.

Don’t you think so? Survey scam artists on Facebook seem to.

Cybercrooks have launched another survey campaign on Facebook; this time they’re hoping the early birds and/or caffeine junkies can’t resist jumping on the offer for a free $100 Dunkin Donuts gift card.

The survey scam starts off with an enticing message similar to this one:


Get Dunkin Donut Gift Card for FREE! (limited time only)
free-dunkindonut-offers1.blogspot.com

Dunkin Donut is currently giving away $100 gift cards to all facebook users!!


Be advised that multiple URLs are used in this scam, including get100-dunkindonutsoffers.blogspot.com.

With a simple click, you’re taken to a page that offers a $100 Dunkin Donut gift card so long as you share the [scam] page with your Facebook friends and help ease the skepticism of future victims by leaving a comment pledging your love for Dunkin Donuts.

Hmm, seems pretty easy to get a free $100 gift card these days, right? WRONG!

Dunkin Donuts Facebook Scam: Enter your email addressOnce you complete step one and two, you’re kicked over to a completely different site (rewardingpromos.com) that’s interested in getting as much personal information as possible, starting with your email address.

However, now would be a very good time to notice the fine print that states if you press submit, you “agree to receive SMS texts” and you acknowledge that you must meet the following requirements in order to receive your $100 Dunkin Donuts gift card:

Dunkin Donuts Facebook Scam: Give as much info as possible"(4) complete and continue through our survey pages, (5) Complete at least 2 Silver Sponsor Offers (Offers will vary), (6) Not cancel your participation in said sponsored offers within 30 days of initial transition date."

Unless you enjoy receiving spam via every outlet possible (text message, email, snail mail, & phone calls) or want to risk having your identity stolen by a cybercrook, perhaps it’s best if you passed on this “free” gift card offer and just pay for your Dunkin Donuts treats like you always do.

Cybercriminals often use free gift card offers to trick people into filling out surveys and/or signing up for affiliate programs since they get paid for completed surveys and affiliate registrations.

How to Deal with the $100 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card Scam on Facebook


If you’ve fallen for this scam:

  • Remove any Facebook wall posts or history that you left a comment on the page.

  • Watch out for additional spam or scams that may come via SMS, email, snail mail or even telephone calls. You may also want to watch out for signs of identity fraud and closely monitor your cellphone bill for suspicious charges as cybercriminals sometimes sign victims up for expensive SMS subscription services.


If you see a friend advertising this scam, let them know that the offer is bogus and advise them to remove the Wall posts and be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

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