The Costco Yeti Beach Lounge Wagon Scam – Report

Home ยป Scams ยป The Costco Yeti Beach Lounge Wagon Scam – Report

Did you get an email saying Costco wants to give you a Yeti Beach Lounge Wagon for finishing a quick survey? Okay, pause right there, because that is the first thing I would want you to slow down and look at. A free premium wagon sounds harmless, and paying a tiny shipping fee can feel like almost nothing, but that is exactly why this kind of offer works. It shows you something you want, wraps it in a brand you already trust, and then nudges you to click before you have time to think.

Based on the reports people shared, this one has scam written all over it. The message claims you answer a few questions, win the wagon, and only pay shipping or handling. But then you start seeing the cracks: strange sender addresses, blurry images, wrong logos, checkout pages that suddenly have nothing to do with Costco, and payment attempts that do not match the original fee.

So if the email says Costco, but the address is random, treat it as dangerous. The wagon is the bait.

Understanding the Costco Yeti Wagon Scam

This scam appears to lean on two things at the same time: people trust Costco, and people know Yeti products are pricey enough to feel like a real prize. That combination is what makes the trap convincing. A fake offer for something nobody wants would be easy to ignore. A fake offer for something useful, valuable, and just believable enough? That gets people curious.

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The usual setup is simple. Similar to Perksapply.com scam, an unsolicited email arrives saying you can claim or win a Yeti Beach Lounge Wagon after completing a Costco survey. Some sender names looked ridiculous, with spaced-out letters and sweepstakes wording that already felt off. Other messages came from personal Gmail addresses, random strings, onmicrosoft domains, or fake Costco spellings where one letter had been swapped. Now here is the important part: the display name can say almost anything. The real sender address is what you need to check.

After the survey, the page tells you that you won. Great, right? Not really. Now comes the catch. The wagon is supposedly free, but you need to pay shipping, S&H, or another small fee. And that is where the scam stops being just annoying and starts becoming risky, because the goal may be to get your card details and try more charges later.

What to Do If Youโ€™ve Fallen for the Scam

If you already clicked, answered the survey, or entered payment information, do not sit there hoping nothing happens. Act fast. The earlier you lock things down, the better.

First, contact your bank or card issuer. Tell them you entered your card on what appears to be a fake Costco and Yeti giveaway page. Ask them to lock or cancel the card, and ask for a replacement number. That matters because even if the first charge was only $9.95, $10.99, $11, or $13, the bigger problem is that your payment details may now be in the wrong hands.

Next, dispute anything suspicious. If you see the small shipping charge, report it. If you see a larger attempt, like the reported $76.49 Coregadgettechs charge, report that too. Also keep watching your statement, because some scams try later charges that look like recurring monthly fees. The amounts people discussed ranged much higher than the original shipping fee, so do not assume the first charge is the end of it.

If you typed in any passwords, change them immediately. That includes Costco, email, Facebook, or anything else the page asked for. Turn on multi-factor authentication where you can. And finally, report the email as phishing and, if money was involved, file a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

How the Costco Yeti Wagon Scam Tricks You

This scam does not need some advanced hacking trick. It works because it feels normal enough at the beginning.

First, it borrows trust. Costco is a real company, so people are more willing to believe a survey reward might be real. Then it adds a tempting product. Yeti is known for pricey outdoor gear, so a free wagon feels exciting enough to override that little voice telling you to slow down.

Then comes the small payment trap. Asking for $10 or $13 does not feel like a huge risk. You might think, what is the worst that happens? But the real cost is not the shipping fee. The real cost is giving a suspicious site your card number.

Some versions add fake urgency. A timer says you have two minutes left, or the offer expires in five minutes. That is not there to help you. It is there to rush you, because if you stop and check, the whole thing starts falling apart.

Recognizing Warning Signs of the Costco Yeti Wagon Scam

The biggest red flag is the sender. Costco is not going to send an official reward from a random personal email account. So when the name says Costco but the address says something else entirely, that is not a tiny detail. That is the warning.

Another red flag is the product itself. Several people pointed out that Yeti does not appear to make this kind of wagon, and some thought the image looked AI-generated or just low quality. Now, you do not need to become a product expert for every giveaway you see, but if the item looks strange, the branding looks wrong, or the pictures are blurry, step back.

The payment page is another giveaway. A free prize that still needs your card should make you suspicious right away. And if the checkout suddenly mentions some unrelated app, bookstore, savings offer, or payment screen that has nothing to do with Costco, that is not normal. That is your cue to close the page.

Also watch for repeated messages from different senders. If the same exclusive prize keeps arriving from new addresses, it is not exclusive. It is a campaign.

How to Handle a Scam Message

If one of these emails lands in your inbox, do not click and do not reply. Open the sender details and check the actual address. If it is not clearly connected to Costco, mark it as spam or phishing and delete it.

On a computer, you can hover over a link to preview where it goes. On a phone, you can usually long-press to see the destination. But honestly, if the sender already looks fake, you do not need to investigate the link. Just leave it alone.

Do not fill out the survey just to see what happens, because engaging can confirm that your email belongs to someone willing to click.

Reporting Scam Emails

Reporting helps because these messages usually do not target just one person. Use your email providerโ€™s phishing or spam button. If you paid money or entered card details, tell your bank and report the fraud to the FTC. If you are unsure about a Costco promotion, go directly to Costcoโ€™s official site or app.

Country / Agency URL Category / Use-case Phone/Email
Australia – Crime Stoppers https://www.crimestoppers.com.au Anonymous tips about crime 1800 333 000
Australia – National Anti-Scam Center (Scamwatch) https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam General scams; phishing; texts/emails
Australia – Police Assistance Line (non-emergency) https://www.police.gov.au Local police report 131 444
Australia – ReportCyber (ACSC) https://www.cyber.gov.au/report Cybercrime (hacks, fraud, extortion)
Canada – Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm General scams incl. phone/text/email
France – DGCCRF (SignalConso) https://signal.conso.gouv.fr Consumer scams/deceptive practices
France – PHAROS โ€“ Internet-Signalement https://www.internet-signalement.gouv.fr Online content & cybercrime reports
Germany – Bundeskriminalamt / Local Police https://www.polizei.de/Polizei/DE/Home/home_node.html Report online fraud
Germany – WeiรŸer Ring โ€“ Victim Support https://weisser-ring.de Victim support 116 006
India – DoT Helpline (Sanchar Saathi) https://sancharsaathi.gov.in Fraudulent telecom/SIM related 155260
India – National Consumer Helpline https://consumerhelpline.gov.in Consumer scams 1800-11-4000 / 1915
India – National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal https://cybercrime.gov.in Cybercrime incl. online fraud 1930
Japan – Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_policy/caution/cybercrime/ Consumer scams
Japan – National Police Agency โ€“ Cybercrime https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/cyber/ Cybercrime reporting
Mexico – Guardia Nacional (National Guard) https://www.gob.mx/gn Cybercrime reporting
Mexico – Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) https://www.ift.org.mx Telecom/online services scams
Mexico – PROFECO https://www.gob.mx/profeco Consumer fraud & ecommerce
Netherlands – AFM โ€“ Report investment fraud https://www.afm.nl/en/consumenten/themas/beleggen/misleiding-misbruik Investment/crypto
Netherlands – Fraudehelpdesk https://www.fraudehelpdesk.nl/melden General scams (incl. phishing/SMS) 088-7867372
Netherlands – Politie โ€“ Meldpunt Internetoplichting https://www.politie.nl/themas/internetoplichting.html Online shopping fraud
New Zealand – CERT NZ https://www.cert.govt.nz/individuals/report-an-issue/ Phishing, identity scams
New Zealand – Department of Internal Affairs โ€“ Spam https://www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-Contact-Us Email/SMS spam [email protected]
New Zealand – IDCARE https://www.idcare.org Victim support (identity compromise) 0800 121 068
New Zealand – Netsafe โ€“ Report https://www.netsafe.org.nz/report/ Online harms & scams
New Zealand – New Zealand Police (non-emergency) https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 Report fraud/online crime 105
Nigeria – Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) https://www.efcc.gov.ng Financial scams incl. crypto/investment [email protected]
Nigeria – Nigeria Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) https://www.specialfraudunit.org.ng Serious fraud Voice/SMS: 0708 227 6895; WhatsApp: 0812 760 9914

[email protected]; [email protected]

Poland – CERT Polska (CERT.PL) https://cert.pl/en/report/ Cyber incidents & phishing
Poland – Dyzurnet.pl https://dyzurnet.pl Illegal online content (esp. child protection)
Poland – Polish Police (Policja) https://www.policja.pl Report scams to police
Singapore – Anti-Scam Centre / Anti-Scam Helpline https://www.scamalert.sg General scams; texts; calls 1800-722-6688
Singapore – Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) https://www.mas.gov.sg/investor-alert-list Investment/crypto checks
Singapore – Singapore Police Force https://www.police.gov.sg/iwitness Police report (cybercrime)
South Africa – Cybersecurity Hub (CSIRT) https://www.cybersecurityhub.gov.za Cyber incidents incl. scams
South Africa – South African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) https://www.safps.org.za Identity fraud support 011-867-2234
South Africa – South African Police Service (SAPS) https://www.saps.gov.za Police report (cybercrime unit)
South Korea – Korea Communications Commission (KCC) https://www.kcc.go.kr Telecom-related fraud
South Korea – Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) https://www.kisa.or.kr Phishing, online harms
South Korea – Korean National Police Agency โ€“ Cyber Bureau https://ecrm.cyber.go.kr Cybercrime reporting
Spain – INCIBE โ€“ Oficina de Seguridad del Internauta (OSI) https://www.osi.es/es/reporte Cybersecurity & online fraud
Spain – Policรญa Nacional / Guardia Civil https://www.policia.es Report scams to police
Sweden – Crime Victim Authority (Brottsoffermyndigheten) https://www.brottsoffermyndigheten.se Victim support & compensation 090โ€“70 82 00
Sweden – Polisen (Swedish Police) https://polisen.se Report fraud/cybercrime 114 14 (non-emergency); 112 (emergency)
Sweden – Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) https://www.konsumentverket.se Unfair business practices
United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi Police โ€“ Aman Service https://www.adpolice.gov.ae Cybercrime tips/reporting SMS 2828; 800 2626

[email protected]

United Arab Emirates – Dubai Police โ€“ eCrime https://www.dubaipolice.gov.ae Cybercrime reporting 04 606 1600
United Arab Emirates – Ministry of Interior โ€“ Cyber Crime Dept. https://www.moi.gov.ae Cybercrime incl. online scams
United Arab Emirates – Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) / TDRA https://www.tra.gov.ae Telecom-related scams/phishing
United Kingdom – Action Fraud (NFIB) https://www.actionfraud.police.uk General scams & cybercrime (non-emergency) 0300 123 2040
United Kingdom – Citizens Advice Consumer Service https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/ Consumer problems & scam guidance 0808 223 1133
United Kingdom – Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam-us Investment/crypto & financial services
United Kingdom – National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams Phishing emails & suspicious websites
United Kingdom – Stop Scams UK โ€˜159โ€™ https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/159 Banking APP fraud (direct to your bank) 159
United States – AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ Victim support 833-372-8311
United States – Better Business Bureau โ€“ Scam Tracker https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker Business/marketplace scams
United States – FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) https://www.ic3.gov Internet crime incl. investment/crypto
United States – Federal Trade Commission โ€“ ReportFraud https://reportfraud.ftc.gov General scams, phishing, texts/emails 1-877-382-4357
United States – National Center for Disaster Fraud https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud Disaster-related scams (866) 720-5721
United States – SEC Tips & Complaints https://www.sec.gov/tcr Investment & securities/crypto-asset offerings

Strengthening Your Device and Account Security

Opened only? You are probably okay. Clicked, paid, or entered passwords? Scan your device, change passwords, and watch accounts closely.