Lots of people want to know if Samples500.com Costco Product Tester/Reviewer job offer is legit. Well, the short answer is NO. Samples500 is a fraudulent website impersonating the Costco brand. Fraudsters often impersonate legit brands, using their logo, product inventories and even similar website design.
Samples500.com Details
Samples500.com claims people can get paid to test Costco samples. The website has a blue button that says ‘GET STARTED’. Upon clicking the button, samples500.com redirects users to different websites which it claims it’s a procedure for getting the job.
Why Its a Scam
Though Samples500.com might seem like a legit work from opportunity, it’s actually a scam designed to steal people’s personal information, add them to a shady monthly subscription plan, and install malware on people’s devices.
Samples500.com is not an official Costco job website. In fact, there’s only one website for Costco job application and it is Costco.com career opportunity page.
According to who.is (a website that gives accurate information on websites creation date) Samples500.com was registered on July 2024, and the registration details showed it was done anonymously, offshore.
The website is part of a large network of scam posting fake Product reviewer/tester job opportunities. Just like Samples500.com, the websites are all recently registered, not affiliated with the brands mentioned, and have malware running in the background.
How Samples500.com Scam works
The scam starts when you click on ‘Apply Now’ on the site. You’ll be redirected to different malicious websites and finally asked some questions. At the process, your email address, telephone number, will be requested and you’ll be made to tick a terms and conditions box.
By so doing, you’re giving the fraudsters permission to sell your information. This info include your – email address, IP address, browser type, cookies, device type, operating system, buying preferences and online behaviours. You could also unknowingly get added in a shady subscription plan that sends you a bunch of daily emails which could contain phishing links.
At the end of the day, there’s no mention of the Costco Product Reviewer Job.
Solutions for Victims of This Scam
If you’ve already visited Samples500.com and clicked a bunch of links, here’s what to do;
Check Your Device for Viruses and Malware – Since you visited lots of malicious websites, it is important that you install anti-virus software and scan your device for viruses that may have been downloaded.
Monitor your email – Over the next few days and weeks you’re going to receive a lot of emails that may likely end up in your spam folder. Endeavour to flag it as spam and report any suspicious email that appears on your Inbox. Also, do not click on any link attached in it as it could be a phishing attempt.
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Nora