I just got the same exact text on my cell right now...but it had a relatives name on it instead of mine - wierd. Ignoring!

I received a text on but it was directed toward my son, who is 7.  His name is uncommon and it was spelled correctly in the text...possibly a coincidence but I'm not leaving it to chance.  I filed a complaint with the FCC.

unsolicited text message. Caylor you have been selected to receive a FRED $50 Target Gift voucher... Probably fishing for personal information.

This is just an attempt to phish more info (do not respond to it and report it here: https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action)

scam

I got a text from 727-470-8714 telling ELEANOR that she won a Target gift card and she should call 866-938-9161 to claim it

No one at my house named Eleanor

Smells like a spam or scam to me

[Name] you have been selected to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP

They got my full first name right in their text saying the same thing as written above.  Thanks for the warnings; I'm a regular Target shopper but these always have me suspicious.

Somehow somewhere all of a sudden my cell # is tied to someone named ELAINE even though I've had this number for 10 years. I was getting nonstop calls from collectors askin for Elaine, now I got this text for the stupid gift card and it was addressed to ElaiNe! Ugh.

My text message says 'Michael you have been selected to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP

#1 my name is not Michael

#2 follow the advise above and delete this message, it is obviously a hoax

From: 8322900687

Norman you have been selected to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP

Received:
Tue Nov 22, 8:19am

Yeah I got it too and they called me Kenneth. My name is Mike. That's not even a good effort.

Txt to phone from 832 249 0417 Selcted to recive a FREE $50.00 taget gift voucher.  Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem.  NO THANK YOu.  Just blocking. Not calling or texting STOP TO STOP.  Feel bad for people who fall prey to these scams.

You have been selected to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem.  TXT STOP TO STOP

wife just got the same text it is clearly a ripoff

thanks to all

File a complaint with the FTC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm  Select Telemarketing, Prerecorded Messages and Do-Not-Call -> Live telemarketing calls (including Do-Not-Call), prerecorded messages, advertising text messages -> Online Form.

SPAM SPAM SPAM.  They text you from 917-291-9319 and tell you you've won something and tell you to text back to 866-938-9161.  PLEASE DO NOT TEXT THEM BACK.  It only gives them ammunition that they have a valid number and then MORE spam will come your way.  You HAVE NOT won anything.   I hope people are smart enough to not believe this crap.....

Received text from 917.291.9971 saying "You have been chosen to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift Voucher Call 1-866-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP

sent me a text saying: "You have been chosen to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift Voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP"

Same here. Ignored.

Text from 201-936-1240 asking to call this number to redeem a $50 Target gift voucher.

THIS IS NOT A LEGITIMATE OFFER! DELETE IT - DO NOT TXT BACK, CALL, ETC,

Do not bother listing anymore complaints about this please. Just read through to this message and stop. Delete the text you got and forget about it.

I spoke to a supervisor in Customer Relations at Target's corporate office today, August 29, 2011. She said this   TXT or SMS messages that say,  "You have been chosen to receive a FREE $50 Target gift voucher..." is definitely NOT an offer from Target, or any company they have authorized to market thru.

DO NOT RESPOND in any way to the text or SMS. Do not call the phone number given and do not text a message back at all.

If you call or text back, then whoever is sending the text will have your phone number on their CID. From then on, they can do all sorts of malicious things, such as:

1. Spoof it to make it appear as though a call or text is coming from your number. Read more about that here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

2. Spoof it for phishing reason.

3. Spoof it to be used for other illegal activities, such as planning attacks on say something such as an oil pipeline, a place of religious worship, etc, or for planning raves or demonstrations, for example.  

4. Spoof it and make long distance calls out of the country that then get billed back to you.

5. Put your number on a marketing list so you end up getting spammed by calls and/or text messages regularly.

Or any number of other things.

As you can see, if you look back through the message board here, the Target Gift voucher TXT originates from several different phone numbers, as the CIDs listed show. Likely, these are phone numbers that have already been spoofed. Yet the number you are to call to redeem the voucher or TXT STOP TO STOP to is always the same. The one phone number that remains constant (1-866-938-9161) is the one where the criminals are, the ones who want to spoof your phone number, or steal your credit card info, or steal ID, or whatever.

If you want, you might try calling your cell phone company and politely let them know you got the text message, that you know it to be a scam/phishing text or spoofing attempt, ask if they will investigate the number you were texted to call, and if possible will they please give you a little bit of credit on your bill to make up for anything it may have cost you to receive the text.


Also, go to https://www.donotcall.gov/ and if you haven't done so already, list your phone number there to be put on the DO NOT CALL list, though I don't think it makes all that much difference now and then file a report about it.

I also got the exact same message about Target

Thanks for taking the time to listen to their recording. I would have fallen for it because of those random survey prizes we participate once in a while.

If you listen to their recorded spiel it becomes clear that they will bill you $9.99 a month.

"You have been chosen to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift Voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP"

I got it a few days ago:
=========================

"You have been chosen to receive a FREE $50 Target Gift Voucher Call 1-866-938-9161 to redeem. TXT STOP TO STOP"