Update (3 Feb 2025): After this post we received 3 more emails from our visitors that they got this same message.
Recently one of our newsletter subscribers received a message from an unknown number. The text offered an attractive discount: “Get 20% Off Temu Sitewide on Any order” with a discount code “lillienu.” The message included a link that supposedly needed to be clicked to activate the discount code.
Our subscriber, hoping to save money on her shopping, clicked the link without thinking twice. However, within a few hours, she noticed several unauthorized transactions on her card, which completely emptied her bank account. After investigating the incident, it was discovered that clicking the malicious link had compromised her phone’s security.
The scammers had gained access to all the passwords saved on her phone through this deceptive link. Even worse, they could see all the card details she had saved in her mobile browsers. This simple click on what seemed like a harmless shopping discount offer turned into a nightmare, giving criminals complete access to her financial information.
The scammers used a common trick of disguising themselves as a legitimate shopping website (in this case, Temu) to make the message appear trustworthy. They knew many people save their passwords and payment information on their phones for convenience, and they exploited this habit to steal sensitive data.
What makes this incident particularly concerning is how the scammers used a current trend – people’s interest in getting discounts from popular shopping websites – to make their message seem believable. They created a sense of urgency and excitement about the discount, which led to our subscriber letting her guard down.
The most troubling part of this incident is how easily we can fall for such scams when promised attractive discounts. Our subscriber later realized she had never actually subscribed to Temu’s newsletter service – so how did they get her number? This is a crucial question we should all ask ourselves when receiving unexpected discount messages.
Even if you have subscribed to a shopping site’s notifications, it’s essential to be cautious of any links received through text messages. In this case, while the link contained “temu” in the domain name, it was cleverly disguised to appear legitimate. Scammers often use website names that look similar to popular shopping sites to trick people.
As operators of Discount Agent (The Trusted & Leading Voucher Codes Site In UK), we feel responsible for sharing this incident with our community. We want all our subscribers to be safe while pursuing genuine deals and discounts. Remember, legitimate companies rarely send discount codes through unexpected text messages from unknown numbers.
If you receive such suspicious messages, please:
- Never click on links from unknown numbers, no matter how tempting the offer.
- Question how the sender got your contact information.
- Double-check if you’ve actually subscribed to that company’s services.
- Be especially wary of messages creating urgency around “exclusive” discounts.
Most importantly, if you encounter such scam messages, report them immediately to the relevant cybercrime authorities. In the UK, you can report cyber fraud to Action Fraud (www.actionfraud.police.uk) or call 0300 123 2040. The sooner these scams are reported, the better chance authorities have of preventing others from becoming victims.
