CVS Survey Scam Could Harm Your Device or Steal Personal Information

• The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has recently received reports of a CVS survey scam. In the CVS scam, criminals send a text message and ask you to click on a link and complete a “short survey.”
• The criminals say if you complete the survey, you will be compensated. However, it is likely a malicious link that could download malware or take you to a phony website to steal your personal information.
• To avoid falling victim to a CVS survey scam, never click on an unknown link, be suspicious of unsolicited messages (particularly about a prize or money) and look for grammatical errors (which are a red flag).
• To learn more, or if you believe you are the victim of a CVS scam, call the ITRC toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-chat on the company website idtheftcenter.org.

Most people have received a message asking them to fill out a survey after shopping at a store or speaking with a customer service representative. Now, scammers are looking to use that to their advantage. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has received multiple inquiries regarding a CVS survey scam, like the two pictured below.

There have also been recent reports about similar Walgreens survey scams. The text messages claim to offer compensation in return for filling out a survey. However, all they offer is an identity criminal the opportunity to commit an identity crime.

Who Are the Targets?

CVS or retail store shoppers; text message users

What is the Scam?

In the CVS survey scam, identity criminals send text messages that claim to be from CVS ( it could be any store or company). In the text message, the scammers ask you to complete a “short survey” if you click the link. They also claim that you will be paid for taking part in the survey. However, it is likely a malicious link that could download malware onto your device or take you to a form on a phony website that may steal your personal information.

What They Want

Identity criminals hope to use the CVS survey scam to steal your personal information. Your information could be used in many different ways to commit numerous identity crimes.

How to Avoid Being Scammed

• Never click on an unknown link. Even if you shopped at CVS (or another store), you will likely not be compensated to complete a survey.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited messages. If you receive a text message that you are not expecting, ignore it and reach out directly to the source to verify the validity of the message and request.
• Look for grammatical errors. As you can see in one of the images above, “CV S” has a space between the “V” and “S”. Those are the small types of grammatical errors that could be a telltale sign of a CVS scam or other survey scam.
• Free gifts and prizes are always red flags. If a message seems too good to be true, it probably is. You are unlikely to receive compensation for completing a survey.

Contact the ITRC

If you have additional questions about the CVS survey scam, other survey scams, or believe you were a victim of a scam, contact us. You can speak with an ITRC expert advisor toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-chat on the company website. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.