While it can be as you surmise, the advance-fee-for-something scam has been around for a very long time. The $1000 card is just bait. Could have been a cruise, a grant, etc.

THIS IS A SCAM. This is a version of the advance-fee-for-something scam where something is a grant, loan, lottery winnings, interest rate reduction, tax reduction, gift card, refund, doggie, cruise, vacation, free gas, etc., and the advance-fee is for tax, shipping, registration, insurance, secure handling, processing, etc. They may send you a fake check, may want your credit/debit card or bank account number,  or tell you to wire cash via Western Union, Moneygram, etc. They can put recurrent difficult-to-cancel monthly charges or a 1-time charge on your card or bank account, and sell account info to other criminals and you'll have to replace accounts altogether. Wired-cash is irretrievable - once it's picked up at the other end, it's untraceable and gone. If they want you to call them up for instructions, they may tell you not to discuss the wire with Western Union desk clerks but the real reason is WU clerks are familiar with these scams and will warn you not to wire the money. Report to US Postal Service Inspectors https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.

This is most likely fallout from the Epsilon database break-in from about a month ago. A bunch of retailers had customer info stolen (Best Buy, Target, and a bunch of others). I would not visit the site nor respond to anything that comes from any of these sources for quite a while as most will be scams and try to install malware on your computer or cellphone if you visit any of the links to web pages.

Read more here:
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/hackers ... ree-anticipated

Obviously more information was leaked than what was claimed (as they have our phone numbers as well) so I wouldn't trust anything via electronic media from these retailers. Be very cautious!

Christo

I don't know how they got my number or my first name, just like the posting from "Calgary". I received the same type of text at 2:50am that I was randomly selected to receive a free $1000.00 gift card to a store. I should go to the site within 24 hours.
The site is actually one of those "Work from home" organizations, therefore it is definitely a scam. I would love to know how to get "unsubscribed" from it as I'm not awake at the time the text came in and it woke us up.

I dont know how they got my number or my first name but I got a text at 2.46 am that i was randomly selected to receive 1 free 1000.00 gift card.

I should go to this site to get it with in 24 hours

This has got to be a scam,