Costco scams and how to detect and avoid them

Costco is the third biggest retailer in the United States, and it has attracted criminals who want to take advantage of its massive client base.

Scammers usually portray themselves to be from Costco or affiliated with the company to try to get personal information and/or money from customers.

The retail giant has posted 25 scams they are aware of on their official site, but there could be many more. These schemes are usually carried out through fraudulent websites, emails, phone calls, texts, and social media offers.

Here are some of the Costco cons that criminals try to pull.

Fraudulent emails

Scammers send emails that promise “exclusive giveaways” or “free televisions”, which you can get by clicking on a link. They can also try to fool people into filling out “customer satisfaction surveys”. Some messages will say “redeem your gift card”, which you can supposedly do, again, with a click of a link.

Bogus texts

Customers can a receive texts offering loyalty rewards, and be threatened that their membership will be canceled if they don’t click on the link. There can also be fake surveys with “a few quick questions” that offer a reward if a person participates. Some texts could also inform you that you have been overcharged, and that you could be reimbursed if you click on a link.

Fake websites

When shopping, you may be redirected to what appears to be Costco’s website, even if you were not typing the store’s name on your search bar. You might have been brought there by a fake link to a fake site.

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How to detect and avoid Costco scams

Costco says customers should always check URLs to see if the websites bear their official domain. They must also scrutinize emails to determine if they indeed come from Costco.com.

Scammers try to make subtle changes on the domain name, such as replacing an O (the letter O) with a 0 (zero), or replace the letter I with the number 1. The site could also misspell Costco as Cotsco, so make sure you look very closely at all these little details.

Buyers should also avoid clicking on any links in general, whether they be in an email or on a text message.

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The company reminds clients that they never ask for credit card information and other sensitive data such as their social security number, login details, or other personal information in an unsolicited digital communication.

People should also watch out for typographical errors, repetitive language, and sloppy graphics or photos in messages, as these are indicators of a scam.

Check out the Costco website for the list of common scams using their store’s name.