Costco ‘Free Turkey Dinner’ Email Is a Scam—Here’s How to Spot It and Stay Safe This Holiday Season
Learn the warning signs of this fake email promising a Costco Thanksgiving meal
You’re planning your Thanksgiving feast when an email lands in your inbox promising a free Thanksgiving meal from Costco. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is—this special offer is not what it seems. The seasonal email is actually being sent by scammers targeting shoppers looking to save money on their holiday meal. Luckily, knowing what to watch for can ensure you don’t fall into their trap. Keep reading to learn more about the Costco turkey scam and how to stay safe.
Here’s what scammers are up to
This year more than ever, Americans are looking for ways to save on their Thanksgiving dinner. While many stores are offering great deals on turkeys and sides, completely free holiday meals are quite rare. But that hasn’t stopped scammers from trying to make loyal Costco shoppers believe they’ve earned a complimentary Costco meal.
In recent Reddit and Facebook posts, people have shared the suspicious email they’ve received in their inbox.
At first glance, it seems to be legitimate. The Costco wholesale logo appears at the top of the message, with enticing words below it in large text reading: “We’re giving you an exclusive opportunity to receive…a complete gourmet Thanksgiving turkey dinner.”
Unfortunately, the free feast isn’t real—it’s simply a new phishing attempt.
The sneaky trick behind the email
Once the promise of the free Thanksgiving turkey dinner lures you in, the message explains what steps need to be taken in order to receive it. “Simply take a few moments to share your feedback with us and claim your reward,” it reads.
The requested feedback is in the form of a survey you can access via the embedded “Get it now” button provided in the email. Once you click the link, you could end up infecting your device with malware.
Another sneaky variation: There actually is a survey for you to complete, but Costco will not be the one collecting the feedback. The scammer is stealing the personal or financial information you input for their own benefit.
Like other phishing emails, this particular message certainly creates a sense of urgency. The fake message alerts you that “this exclusive, limited-time reward won’t be available for long.” The hope is that you’ll be so excited about the free Thanksgiving turkey dinner that you won’t realize it’s a scam until it’s too late.
Your action plan to stay protected
Find one of these alleged giveaway messages in your inboxes? You’ll want to avoid clicking on the link or engaging with the email in any way—this ensures your device and accounts stay safe.
The best move: Delete the message, but you can also report it to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. By putting it on the agency’s radar, you can help protect other shoppers from falling victim this holiday season.
If you did fill out the faux Costco survey, you’ll want to change your passwords for any compromised or linked accounts that may be accessed by the scammer. For any concerns about your official Costco account, you can contact the chain’s customer service department.
Spot the scam like a pro
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, there will likely be an uptick in these Costco turkey scam emails. It’s important to know that the retailer is not offering this free holiday meal, so any promises of the reward are fake.
When in doubt, check the sender! The scam messages have been reportedly coming from Gmail accounts (often personal accounts), which is an immediate red flag.
Here are the actual email addresses and domains that Costco uses:
- @trx.costco.com
- @digital.costco.com
- @orders.costco.com
- costco@digitalshopcard.costco.com
- membershipannualrenewal@invoice.costco.com
- annualrenewal@invoice.costco.com
- donotreplycostco@billmatrix.com
You can also see a list of common Costco-related scams on the official website if you have any questions. Though the turkey scam is not mentioned, other survey-based schemes are included, showing just how common this phishing tactic is now.
Exercising caution with any messages promising Costco freebies can ensure you stay safe during the holiday season.
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