For several days, there have been reports of fake gift cards supposedly distributed by Starbucks, Lowes, and Walmart as an ‘apology’ for closing their stores due to social distancing requirements. T
he Starbucks messages include the offer of a $100 gift card.
If a person clicks on the link in the email message, the person will be taken to a page that will ask for their personal information. Any information that is submitted will be sent to scammers. Malware will also often be installed onto the person's computer.
If an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. When something seems suspicious, the best thing to do is to contact the company directly to ask if the offer is valid. In the case of Starbucks, you can check the Starbucks app, contact the corporate customer service center, or contact a local store.
For more details, see the following websites: