AARP Hearing Center
Joan, 79, a widow in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, got an email inviting her to take an online survey about Costco Wholesale. A former customer, she didn't hesitate, thinking it was a way to entice her to return. She was promised a gift for answering the survey and chose “a little, tiny, one-ounce bottle of CBD oil, because I never tried it."
A retired postal worker, Joan used a debit card to pay a $5.95 fee for shipping and handling. Instead, she was charged $95 — more than she had in her checking account — and slapped with a $35 overdraft fee.
Aghast at the CBD oil's price tag, Joan used certified mail to return the package to the company and records show it arrived Jan. 7. She's called a toll-free number for the company multiple times for a refund, to no avail. “I have spoken to 11 different customer service guys,” she says, and “received 11 different excuses."
13 Costco scams to avoid
1. Fraudulent satisfaction survey
4. Texts regarding loyalty reward
5. Overcharge reimbursement texts
6. Survey with exclusive offers
10. Fake interview confirmation
11. Fraudulent Executive Rewards redemption
12. Citi Rewards direct deposit scam
Source: Costco
AARP is not naming the business. Its address is a UPS Store near Los Angeles; it is not registered with California; and a call to its phone number went to a call center, where a supervisor, “Marco,” when asked about the potential fraud, said he did not want to be rude, but was hanging up. And he did.
Scams add up to a baker's dozen
Joan is not alone in having been ripped off by crooks who hijack Costco's name — and hide behind it — to steal cash and personal data. These criminals reach out in emails, texts, phone calls and posts on social media.
"It is an unfortunate fact of the Internet that at any given time there are numerous illegitimate pop-up ads, surveys, websites, emails, social media posts and advertisements that purport to be from or authorized by Costco,” the retailer says on its website. “It is unlikely that Costco is affiliated with these promotions.” The site lists 13 “currently known scams” including: