Sometimes you spot posts on social media that make you wonder if any moderation takes place at all.

Which is concerning, because two–thirds of all online shopping scams now start on Facebook and Instagram. Online shopping scams are alarmingly common and have become one of the most frequently reported scam types in Australia. The Dutch police have also warned specifically about fake ads promising steep discounts.

Apparently, and this is an issue we’ve flagged before, social media platforms could stop scams, but they don’t because it hurts their revenue.

The Aldi meat box scam

This Facebook post immediately rattled my cage:

This promotion is not from Aldi and is not endorsed by the company. A random account, which may be compromised or completely fake, posts:

“My son works at Aldi and told me about something almost nobody knows. To be honest, I thought he was joking at first. If you’re over 40, you can get a meat box from Aldi for under $10. Sounds crazy, but it actually worked. They’re clearing out excess stock and, instead of throwing it away, they’re basically letting people have it for next to nothing. All I did was fill out a short form , I left the link in the comments in case it’s useful to anyone. I signed up for my husband (he’s 59 and loves a good steak), and when the box arrived, he opened it like it was his birthday. Everything looked fresh, neatly packed, and honestly there was more inside than we expected. It took me about a minute to fill out the form. If you’re over 40, definitely give it a go , worst case you lose a minute, best case you get a great box of meat almost for free.”

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There are several red flags here. Malwarebytes Scam Guard flagged:

• Unusual offer: Promises of high-value products (“meat box from Aldi for under $10”) for an extremely low price are classic signs of scams, especially when they leverage well-known brands.
• Anecdotal story: The post uses a personal story (“My son works at Aldi…”) to appear trustworthy and relatable, a common technique in social engineering.
• Age restriction: Arbitrarily targeting people over 40 is a psychological trick to make the offer feel exclusive and relevant.
• External link: The most common tactic is to provide a link in the comments rather than in the main post to avoid automatic detection by the platform.
• Urgency and simplicity: Encourages quick action with phrases like “took me about a minute,” downplaying any possible risk.

As it turns out, the possible risk, or “worst case” as the Facebook post calls it, is a lot worse than losing a minute of your time.

The link was posted as the first comment and used the link shortening service cutt[.]ly (and here’s why you should beware of those):

The first redirect sent me to a website where my device was fingerprinted using an embedded JavaScript before redirecting me to https://gifts-survey[.]life/click?key={identifier}, a site designed to mimic the Aldi website. I had my VPN set to the US.

The scam page immediately creates urgency with messages like “only 1 spot left” and “you only have 2 minutes to complete the survey,” trying to stop visitors from thinking things through.

The survey itself only asks basic questions, so there wasn’t much harm in clicking through it on my virtual machine.

As a reward, I got to pick three out of nine boxes to win a prize. I’m happy to report that I “aced” that test.

So, I was forwarded to the scammers’ real goal. On the domain hyperbargainsflow[.]shop, visitors are prompted to enter payment details for their discounted meat box, plus an optional upsell for faster delivery.

The final page asks victims to hand over personal details, including their full name, contact information, and home address, along with payment details for the fake “delivery” fee.

The site also uses tricks like more than 1,000 fake 5-star ratings and attempts to auto-complete and auto-submit the form if fields are detected as pre-populated. Saves you the trouble of submitting all your data yourself. Isn’t that nice of them?

We found that similar campaigns have targeted Woolworths customers in South Africa and Australia using fake butcher profiles, and the Aldi angle has appeared in other countries as well.

How to stay safe

If a post promises a box of premium meat for the price of a sandwich, assume it is a scam until you can prove otherwise.

The same simple checks will help you avoid this Aldi meat box scam and the next look‑alike campaign that pops up tomorrow.

• Sometimes scrolling past the enthusiastic, fake comments will reveal what real users are saying:

• You can also help slow these scams down by reporting them. On Facebook, click the three-dot menu on the post and choose Report post > Scam, fraud or false information.
• If a deal claims to be “known only by insiders” or “almost nobody knows this,” treat it as a red flag, not a perk. Real retailers advertise widely and on their own accounts. They don’t hide genuine promotions in badly written Facebook posts from throwaway accounts.
• Be wary of links posted in the comments. Scammers sometimes use that tactic to avoid automated scanning and reporting on the platform.
• Check the browser address bar carefully. Scam pages can copy a brand’s logo and colors perfectly, but the domain name usually gives the game away. 
• Never enter card details, your full address, or your phone number into a site you reached via a random social post, especially if the offer feels too good to be true. If you already did, contact your bank or card issuer as soon as possible and monitor your statements.
• Secure your devices. Use an up-to-date, real-time anti-malware solution with web protection. Malwarebytes blocks connections to unsafe sites like these.

Pro tip: Malwarebytes Scam Guard recognized the Facebook post as a scam and could have saved somebody’s day.

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Let’s face it, an incognito window can only do so much. 
 
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