BBB Warns: Don’t Be Fooled by “Free” Gas and Grocery Card Postcards

With the cost of groceries and fuel continuing to strain many household budgets, it’s no surprise that consumers are eager to take advantage of legitimate savings opportunities. Unfortunately, scammers know this too, and they’re increasingly using the U.S. mail to lure people with promises of free gas and grocery gift cards.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) has recently received multiple reports through our BBB Scam Tracker page from individuals who received postcards claiming they qualified for valuable gas and grocery cards and vouchers.

The postcards may include official-looking barcodes, tracking numbers, expiration dates, and customer service phone numbers to create a false sense of credibility. Some even use urgent language to pressure consumers into responding quickly before they have time to research the offer. These can include: “Limited time offer,” or “Final notice.”

In addition to groceries or gas, these types of mailings may claim to offer rebates or shopping rewards. Recipients are usually instructed to call a phone number or visit a website to claim their reward, and as noted in the example above, callers are usually asked to pay a fee, which may be referenced as a small processing, activation, shipping, or handling fee – often around $5 – to receive hundreds of dollars in gift cards or vouchers.

Once payment information is provided, one of several things may happen:

• Additional unauthorized charges appear on the consumer’s account.
• The consumer is unknowingly enrolled in a monthly subscription program.
• The promised gift cards never arrive or low-value coupons or promotional materials are received instead.
• The company becomes difficult – or impossible – to contact for refunds.

Your BBB recommends taking these precautions:

Remember that legitimate prizes don’t require you to pay first. If someone asks for a processing fee, activation fee, shipping charge, or any other upfront payment before you receive your reward, consider it a major warning sign.

Research the company independently. Don’t rely solely on the information printed on a postcard. Research the company’s name along with words like “BBB,” “reviews,” or “scam.” Visit BBB.org to check the company’s Business Profile, customer reviews, and complaint history.

Never provide payment information under pressure. If you’re told you must act immediately, slow down. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you into making an immediate payment.

Watch your bank and credit card statements carefully. If you’ve already provided payment information, review your accounts for unauthorized charges and report suspicious transactions to your financial institution immediately.

Be cautious with personal information. Even if the fee is small, scammers may also be trying to collect your address, date of birth, banking information, or other personal details that could be used for future fraud.

If you receive a questionable postcard or believe you’ve been targeted by this type of scam, we hope you’ll report it to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help warn others in your community and provide valuable information about emerging scam trends.

If you’ve already lost money, contact your bank or credit card company as soon as possible to dispute unauthorized charges. You should also report the incident to your state’s consumer protection office and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

 

About BBB: Since 1912, BBB has been supporting businesses and consumers in its mission of advancing marketplace trust.  BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Most BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.3 million companies, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Visit bbb.org for more information. There are over 100 local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Central East Texas, which was founded in 1985 and serves 19 counties.