Target Scam Gift Card Text Message

Did you get a text saying you won a Target gift card? Unfortunately, it’s a common scam, and has been going on for several years.

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Target Gift Card Scam

The text we received read, “Your entry last month has WON! Go to (LINK REMOVED) and enter your Winning Code “6655” to claim your FREE $500 Target Giftcard!“

If you look carefully at the URL, they want you to think it’s from “target.com” but actually it’s from ppdf.biz. They disguise it with target.com.ppdf.biz, but that’s not Target.com! Take a look at the whois on this domain and you’ll see that it was created in June of 2012 and is located in Panama. Still believe them?

When you visit the site, the top says it’s a $1000 gift card – not $500. If you go there and enter the code, you’ll be redirected to another page. It looks official, but it’s not. Reading the fine print at the bottom reveals that it’s just another “rewards” program in which you’ll be asked to sign up for a long list of programs which will be nearly impossible to fulfill.

I tried calling the number back, only to hear a message telling me the user has not set up their voice mail. Do you think that’s a coincidence?

This site’s terms & conditions reference DailyDealFinder.com. That domain is most likely the original site from which this template was taken. DailyDealFinder.com was the subject of an earlier post here for a “free” iPad, based on a similar rewards program. Oddly, the Terms for this site start off:

DailyDealFinder.com

MEMBER INCENTIVE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Similar Gift Card Scams

Similar gift card scams also exist which claim to come from Best Buy, WalMart, and/or Pizza Hut.

Bottom Line

There is no $500 or $1000 Target gift card to be “won” by anyone. It’s a “rewards” program that’s nearly impossible to complete and not even worth the time you’ve spent reading this.

I’ve also seen target.myrewards2go.com with a similar “offer” though it’s unclear whether or not these are related. What is certain is that it is yet another “rewards” offer which requires you and your friends to sign up – so it’s not really “free” either.

A similar “service” out there is 100CardNow.com which is hooked in with OnlineRewardsClub.com. This is a similar, if not related, “rewards” program which requires your participation in 13 “sponsor offers.”

Last Modified October 15, 2009