9. Walmart Scams
Walmart is where America shops — roughly nine in ten U.S. households buy from it every year, and tens of millions have a Walmart.com account with a saved card. That reach makes Walmart a natural costume for scammers, and this fall it has become the vehicle for one of the most widespread robocall scripts we have seen.
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How Walmart is being impersonated
Popular impersonation lures to pay attention to:
The "purchase on your account" robocall
An automated voice says a pre-authorized purchase, typically a PlayStation 5 and a 3D headset for just over $900, or an iPhone for $2,499, "has been placed on a Walmart account registered in your name and phone number. If you did not make this purchase, press one now to cancel the order or call us back." There is no purchase and no account. Pressing one or calling back reaches a "Walmart order verification" agent whose job is to get your card number to "refund" you, or to move you to a "fraud investigator" from your bank or the government.
The fake storefront
Lookalike sites using Walmart's name and layout to sell impossible deals, like an $8,000-BTU air conditioner for $39. They take payment and ship nothing, or ship junk. See Online Scam Storefronts.
The gift-card or survey reward
"You've been selected for a $500 Walmart gift card" emails and texts that lead to a form collecting personal details and a small "shipping" charge.
The account-hold email
A notice that your Walmart.com order is on hold or your account is locked, with a link to a lookalike login page.
Second channel checks
Tips for verifying through official channels
- 1
Check the number in Scamwise first.
Before you press anything or call back, look up the number that called you at scamwise.com or in the Scamwise mobile app. The "purchase on your Walmart account" robocall runs from a small set of numbers against a huge number of people — if it's a scam, we've almost certainly seen it.
- 2
Then check your orders yourself.
Open the Walmart app or type walmart.com and look at Purchase History. Walmart does not call to confirm orders, and a real order would be there. If it isn't, hang up.
- 3
Never press one, never call back, and shop only from the real site.
Any "cancel this order" prompt on an unexpected call is the scam itself. For deals, type the address yourself rather than tapping an ad link, and paste anything that looks too good into Scamwise before you pay.