I’m a big fan of Harbor Freight. Going thru emails and saw one from Harbor Freight offering a free power washer for filling out a survey about HF. Just pay shipping. Went thru the survey, then the form to pay with credit card. Submitted but did not go thru. Hmm, tried again. Did not go thru.
Minutes later I got a call from Wells Fargo asking if I was trying to make this transaction. Told em yes. They said try it again and it would be approved. But before I tried a 3rd time, scam alert bells went off in my head. I did a search for “Harbor Freight scam” and discovered there is quite a history and series of similar tactics. HarborFreight.com even has a scam alert page about this.
So now they have my credit card info. I called Wells Fargo back immediately, confirmed no new charges, cancelled my card and will get a new one in a couple days. At least I realized it was a scam before being taken. But I am probably on their sucker list for years to come.
So, be careful out there! If it sounds too good to be true, etc.