A popular trend in phishing scams is the unsolicited gift card prize offer. This involves getting an unsolicited email or SMS message from McDonald’s, Subway or another popular restaurant or retailer offering a free gift card if you click a link to activate it.
The pitch looks legit, but it’s a phishing scam, meaning the perpetrator is either trying to install malware on your device or gather personal info by having you complete an online questionnaire.
Take these steps if you receive a suspicious offer:
• Look for inconsistencies in their messaging
• Check for misspellings, especially in the link
• Delete the email / SMS — the risk is never worth the reward
In addition, you should consider installing an anti-phishing app (like RedFox Anti-Phishing & Scam Detector) that will help you quickly and efficiently detect any malicious website link that comes to you via email, social networks, messaging apps or via SMS.
