Beware of text message deals offering free cash

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An offer for free money to spend at one of your favorite stores crosses your cell phone as a text message.   Sounds good, right? You guessed it, it is a scam.

One Call for Action viewer alerted us to the popular scam that goes after Target shoppers. The viewer writes they received a text message by phone that "You have received a $1000 gift card" for participating in a drawing.

A Target Corporate spokesman confirmed that the text is a scam. 

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster recently issued a warning on this type of activity where scammers offer something free to spend at popular stores. In reality, the scammers want people to click on a link which infects the phone, allowing identity thieves to access personal information.   

The practice is called smishing.

In a statement from the AG’s office, Koster said, "My office is seeing a lot of illegitimate text messages promising free gift cards. We are warning Missourians not to fall for these scams and not to open the link in the text message."

Koster also suggests consumers put a security freeze on their credit reports. Consumers can notify credit reporting agencies not to give any person and business your credit information unless you authorize it. There is a $5 fee. If you have been the victim of identity theft, it is free.

To do this, contact the three credit agencies. 

Equifax  
Trans Union
Experian

Requests can also be mailed. Information about mailing a request can be found on each agency’s website.