Mydealperks.com 'Costco Gift Card Reward' funnel pushes affiliate deals; Costco isn't running it
MalwareTips says Mydealperks.com, a page titled 'Costco Gift Card Reward', is a gift-card scam: its claim button opens an affiliate tracking link on linkthem.net and the card never arrives. Costco isn't running it.
- First reported
- Reports
- 1
Source: malwaretips.com · published
What happened
MalwareTips published an investigation on 19 October 2026 into Mydealperks.com, a gift-card reward page titled 'Costco Gift Card Reward'. It says the page greets visitors with a big gift-card headline and a claim button, then funnels them through email capture, surveys and sponsored 'deals' (paid trials, subscriptions, app installs or credit applications) while the card never arrives. MalwareTips found the claim button opens a tracking link on linkthem.net, an affiliate network domain, not Costco's website, and says the funnel is typically started by a text, email or social-media ad that claims the recipient was 'selected' for a store reward. It advises treating the page as a gift-card scam, not entering personal details or completing the deals, and checking any real Costco promotion on Costco's own site. Costco is not running this offer; the brand name and look are used without authorisation.
How the scam works
MalwareTips says reward funnels like this follow one script. A text, email or social-media ad claims the recipient was "selected" to test products or collect a reward from a famous store, sometimes adding a first name that may come from an earlier data leak. The landing page shows a short list of numbered steps, a bright claim button and unverifiable countdown timers, "only a few cards left" banners and counters of people who "already claimed".
The button leads through an affiliate tracking link rather than to the store. The page then asks for an email address, followed by name, phone number, home address and date of birth, and "survey" questions about income and shopping. Pre-ticked boxes can pass those details to many "marketing partners". To "unlock" the card, visitors are told to complete sponsored deals such as free trials, streaming plans, insurance quotes, credit applications or mobile games. Uncancelled trials can renew at full price and credit applications can leave a hard inquiry. When the deals are done, the goalposts move: one more deal is needed, one "didn't track", or the claim is "pending review". MalwareTips says each sign-up pays the operator, and the card was never what was for sale.
Source
MalwareTips, "MyDealPerks.com Gift Card Offer EXPOSED – Fake or Real?" (published 19 October 2026).
Red flags
- A gift card that you only get after completing 'deals', trials or credit applications.
- A famous store's name on a domain that isn't the store's own website.
- A claim button that goes to a tracking domain such as linkthem.net instead of the retailer.
- No company name, address or support contact responsible for sending the card.
- An unexpected message saying you were 'selected' or 'won'.
- Countdown timers, 'last cards left' banners and claim counters you can't check.
If you were targeted
- 1Don't enter personal details or complete any of the deals.
- 2Check any Costco promotion only on Costco's own website or app, which you open yourself; Costco isn't running this offer.
- 3If you signed up for a trial or subscription, cancel it and check your card statements for new recurring charges.
- 4If you entered card details, call your card issuer about blocking the card and disputing charges.
- 5Expect more spam and phishing if you gave your email or phone number; don't click links in follow-up messages.
- 6Report the text, email or ad to the platform and, in the U.S., to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.