PITTSBURGH — Federal authorities are investigating a fraudulent text message scheme being sent to cellphones.
Officials said the text message appears to be from Walmart and says, “You have been selected for a $1,000 Walmart gift card. Enter code: ‘Free.’”
The false text message began circulating after Walmart started asking customers to fill out a survey on the bottom of store receipts with a chance to win a $1,000 gift card.
However, the text sends you to the website mymaxsavingsclub.com, which doesn’t belong to Walmart.
Once on the website, you’re asked for your name, birth date, email address and phone number.
Walmart corporate headquarters said a web security company shields the identity of whoever is running the website, so they’ve been unable to stop the scheme.
Authorities said anyone who receives a text message like this one should think twice about opening it.