Overview
The victim expects to get some value from rewards points that they didn't know they had and that are supposedly expiring soon.
How It Works
The scammer sends a message claiming that the victim has earned but unredeemed rewards points on some long-forgotten account.
The scam is that if the victim replies or clicks the provided link, the victim will either be sent to a phishing page where they will have their personal data or financial data stolen.
The scam is generally a "spray and pray", broadly disseminated attack. However, there is a regional aspect to this, as the various companies that are being impersonated only exist in certain countries or regions. So the scammer may impersonate a company in the victim's area.
Related Articles
Related Scams
2.1.4 Package Delivery Scam: Brian Krebs linked the same groups carrying out the Points Expiring Scam to the ones formerly doing the Package Delivery Scam and the 5.1 Government Fee Collection Scam (unpaid toll scams) in the article SMS Phishers Pivot to Points, Taxes, Fake Retailers
5.1 Government Fee Collection Scam: See above.
Related Crime Schemes
A particular instance of this scam may embed one or more of these related schemes.
Data Loss: Any scheme that results in victim losing data/scammer stealing data. Data in this context can mean login credentials, credit card details, or other personal or corporate information.
Fraudulent Platform: Any scheme that relies on custom built software that assists the crime. Includes fraudulent trading platforms, fraudulent clickworking platforms, and the like.
Victim Targeting Context
The scammer may use one or more of the following techniques to reach the victim.
Spray and Pray / Scattered: The scammer approaches many victims at once such as through bulk email or SMS.
Semi-Targeted Regionally: The scammer approaches people in a certain region, for example by area code (toll scam) using semi-targeted email or SMS.
Social Engineering: Psychological Manipulations
The scammer may use one or more of these psychological techniques to accomplish the scam.
Easy money: The scammer promises easy money or makes appeals designed to leverage victim's greed.
Urgency: The scammer employs urgency to increase the likelihood that the victim will take action.
Social Engineering: Impersonation Techniques
The scammer may impersonate one or more of the following groups as part of the scam.
Business: The scammer impersonates a business or nonprofit.