Over the last day or so, Facebook users have been seeing a new fraudulent coupon that offers $100 off from Publix and reads “Thanks Publix.” According to representatives at Publix, the coupon doing the rounds in the Facebook newsfeed is a hoax.
Users asked to remain cautious
As per the representative, the hoax is spreading fast on Facebook as it spreads through the endorsement of those who want their family and friends to believe and click on it. Users have been asked to abstain from clicking the coupon if they come across one in their news feed, as it is not yet confirmed if the link itself has malware.
“There is a fraudulent Publix coupon circulating on social media that states “$100 off your purchase of $120 or more”. This is not supported by Publix and this coupon is not valid at any of our locations,” said Publix.
Fake offers on Facebook. Beware
A similar scam recently surfaced on Facebook offering customers sweet deals. According to the Bureau of Travel Statistics, July and August are the most popular months for air travel in the U.S., so travelers obviously look for the best deals to keep costs down.
In the recent incident, a faker offered $200 airline vouchers for $100 to a community buy/sell/trade group on the platform, according to a report from ABC7 in Denver. One of the victims of the scam reported that he bought the voucher, which was already used when he was looking to avail the benefit while booking a flight. The victim said that before purchasing the voucher he had a meeting with the seller and also double-checked with the airline to be sure of the validity of the coupon, but by the time he decided to redeem it, the coupon was already used.
It seems like Facebook is the latest platform for scammers to earn money by fooling users with lucrative fake deals. Just a week ago, an Aldi $100 coupon surfaced on the social networking site. The coupon offered $100 off on a purchase of $120 from German Grocery chain Aldi. To take benefit of the scam offer, users were required to share the post and then comment. According to WTRF, as brands can be forged easily, the fake posts are made to look like a real offer from the company itself. Furthermore, even the image used in the coupon was just like a real Aldi coupon.
