There’s a flood of Facebook posts claiming that if you’re over 50, Costco will send you a huge meat box for just ten bucks. Sounds incredible, right? But in reality, this “deal” is a classic bait-and-switch scam designed to steal your personal information and trap you in costly subscriptions.
Here’s the gist: these posts often share heartwarming testimonials about friendly Costco employees and seemingly genuine offers. But the mysterious links—hidden in comments—redirect you to slick-looking fake sites using Costco’s logo to appear legit. You’re pressured to act fast with countdown timers, fake social proof, and “limited stock” warnings. After a seemingly simple “survey,” you’re led to provide your personal info and pay a “delivery fee” that actually enrolls you in an expensive monthly subscription costing upwards of $75. Canceling? Forget it—it’s deliberately difficult, so most people end up getting charged month after month.
In short, this isn’t a deal; it’s an elaborate scam preying on trust and the lure of a bargain. If an offer sounds too good to be true—especially one with suspicious urgency and unclear terms—steer clear before it drains your wallet and privacy.
💡 Heads-up: Similar Scams Are Everywhere. Costco Meat Box Giveaway is not unique. It is one of many fake supplements, gadgets, and other schemes we expose in our Fact Checks section. All of them aim to grab your personal data or money. The people behind these scams run slick websites, spread bogus promo codes, and even pose as trusted brands or experts. Below are a few recent scams that follow the same playbook as Costco Meat Box Giveaway: Neuro Sharp, Rima Solo Jet Boat, Hunnylink.com, McAfee Your PC Is Transmitting Malicious Files, NeuroClean.
Table of Contents
🚨 Is the Costco Meat Box Giveaway a Scam?
The so-called “Costco Meat Box Giveaway” being circulated on Facebook and other social media platforms is, unfortunately, a classic scam preying on people hoping for a cheap deal on quality groceries. Despite the relatable and convincing stories shared in posts, the entire offer is designed to trick you into handing over your personal information and enrolling in costly subscription plans disguised as small delivery fees.
Key Red Flags:
- 🌐 Suspicious Origins and Hidden Ownership: The websites involved, like takeyourbox.xyz and yourcartknows.com, are newly registered, use obscure domain extensions, and have all ownership details hidden, making it impossible to verify legitimacy.
- ⭐ Fake Social Proof: Posts and websites display fabricated Facebook-style comments and testimonials that appear genuine but lack real user profiles, likes, or verifiable interactions.
- 🔒 Deceptive “Limited Time” and Scarcity Tactics: Pressure tactics such as urgent countdowns, limited stock warnings, and “only a few spots left” messages aim to rush you into decisions without careful consideration.
- ⚠️ Hidden Subscription Traps: What looks like a small delivery or processing fee actually enrolls you into expensive monthly subscription plans costing upwards of seventy dollars, which are notoriously difficult to cancel.
- 📉 Multiple Redirects to Unrelated Websites: The sales process moves you from one suspicious domain to another with changing prices and availability, a common strategy used to confuse and entrap consumers.
- 👤 Requests for Excessive Personal Information: Beyond just an email address, the scam demands your full name, phone number, and home address upfront, putting your identity at risk.
- 🔗 No Official Confirmation from Costco: Despite using Costco’s logo and name, the offer is not endorsed or confirmed by the legitimate company, and no official Costco channels promote such giveaways.
In summary, the “Costco Meat Box Giveaway” is a scam designed to exploit trust and lure you into costly monthly subscriptions under the guise of a great deal. The use of fake testimonials, dubious websites, aggressive sales tactics, and hidden fees all indicate this is not a genuine offer. It is strongly recommended to avoid such links and offers found in unsolicited social media posts and to verify deals directly through official company channels instead.
🕵️♂️ How the Costco Meat Box Giveaway Scam Operates
The Costco Meat Box Giveaway Scam is a deceptive marketing trick. 🚨 It’s a scam where fake giveaways promise huge discounts on meat boxes from Costco, but instead sign you up for costly subscriptions and steal your personal information. 🔗 Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Scam:
🛒 Crafty Facebook Posts
Scammers start with Facebook posts that sound believable, like a story about someone’s “husband who works at Costco” mentioning a special meat box deal for people over 50. The posts encourage you to sign up quickly, saying it takes just a minute with “nothing personal” required.
🕸️ Fake Links in Comments
The original post doesn’t contain links, but hidden in the comments is a suspicious URL, like takeyourbox.xyz, claiming you’ve been “selected” for a clearance of Costco’s excess meat boxes.
📢 Pressure Tactics and Urgency
Once you visit these sites, big warnings pop up urging you to hurry because there are only a few spots left and a countdown timer pressures you to complete a “short survey”. This creates fake urgency to rush your decision.
💼 Fake Social Proof
These sites mimic Facebook-style comments and live notifications showing others “winning” boxes, but none of these are real—no clickable links or real profiles, just staged to gain your trust.
💸 Hidden Subscription Costs
After completing the survey, you’re redirected to another site (like yourcartknows.com) where the “discounted” price mysteriously jumps up, and you’re asked for detailed personal info. Reviewing the fine print reveals that the “delivery fee” is actually enrollment in a recurring subscription costing upwards of $75 per month.
🌟 False Promises and Confusion
Instead of a cheap meat box from Costco, you’re trapped in a confusing purchase funnel designed to collect your data and charge your credit card repeatedly, making cancellation difficult and frustrating.
⚖️ Hidden Terms & Conditions
The scam buries the true costs and subscription details deep in the Terms & Conditions, so most people don’t notice until it’s too late.
📦 No Costco Meat Box Delivered
Ultimately, you either receive a cheap or nonexistent product, or no product at all—certainly nothing close to a Costco meat box deal.
In summary, the Costco Meat Box Giveaway Scam deceives people with fake Facebook posts and fake websites offering discounted meat boxes “for people over 50.” The scammers aim to steal your personal information and trick you into expensive, hard-to-cancel subscriptions disguised as a small delivery fee. Don’t trust unsolicited social media posts promising deals too good to be true, and always research before sharing your personal and payment details online.
😱 What to Do If Scammed
If you find yourself ensnared by the Costco Meat Box Giveaway Scam, immediate action is crucial. Here’s what you should consider doing:
🛑 Stop Further Transactions
The first step is to halt any additional transactions that might be in process. Contact your bank or credit card provider and inform them that you’ve fallen victim to a scam. They can help by blocking the card or reversing any unauthorized transactions.
📞 Report the Fraud
File a report with your local police and provide all the available evidence, such as screenshots, emails, and website URLs. Additionally, report the scam to online portals like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you’re in another country, reach out to your national consumer protection agency.
💻 Take Screenshots
Before the scam website gets taken down or changes, make sure to capture screenshots of your transactions and communications. These can serve as evidence if you decide to pursue legal action.
⚖️ Consult Legal Advice
Speak to a legal advisor about your situation. While pursuing legal action may be time-consuming and costly, it could be a possible avenue for recovering your lost money.
📢 Share Your Experience
Use social media platforms to share your experience and warn others about the scam. Your story could prevent someone else from falling victim to the same or similar scams.
Summary Table
| Factor | Observations | Impact on Legitimacy |
|---|---|---|
| Scam Description | Facebook posts claim that people over 50 can get a Costco meat box for about $10, saying it’s a special giveaway based on “extra stock” needing to be cleared. | Negative (False promise targeting specific age group) |
| Social Media Posts | Posts seem casual and personal, mentioning a “husband works at Costco” story, encouraging users to sign up quickly and with minimal effort. No direct links are shared, links appear only in comments. | Negative (Fake personal stories used to gain trust) |
| Website Details | Links lead to suspicious websites like takeyourbox.xyz using official Costco logos and “limited time” pressure tactics, with fake countdown timers and fake Facebook-like comments. | Negative (Deceptive website design and fake social proof) |
| Payment and Subscription | After “winning”, users are asked to pay a “delivery fee” on a different website, yourcartknows.com, which enrolls them in a monthly subscription costing about $76, hidden in the fine print. | Negative (Hidden subscription charges and misleading payment requests) |
| Personal Data Collection | Scammers collect name, phone number, home address, and payment details under false pretenses, risking identity theft or unauthorized charges. | Negative (Data theft risk and privacy violation) |
| Domain Information | Websites involved are newly created and hide ownership details, with no way to verify legitimacy. | Negative (Lack of transparency and trustworthiness) |
| Refund and Cancellation | Canceling the subscription requires calling or emailing the scammers, often making it difficult or impossible to stop charges. | Negative (Difficult and confusing cancellation processes) |
| Overall Conclusion | This is a scam designed to trick users into giving personal information and signing up for expensive subscriptions under the guise of a cheap Costco meat box offer. | Negative (Fraudulent scheme with financial and data risks) |
Conclusion
The Costco Meat Box Giveaway is a scam that exploits enticing Facebook posts and fake testimonials to lure people over 50 into providing personal information under the guise of a special offer. The scammers use convincing stories about employees and “exclusive deals” to create a false sense of trust and urgency, pushing you to act quickly with limited-time offers and countdown timers.
Instead of a legitimate discount on premium meat, this scam redirects you to suspicious websites that demand your delivery details and payment information. Once you enter your card details under the pretense of paying a small delivery fee, you are unwittingly enrolled in expensive monthly subscriptions, often costing upwards of seventy dollars, that are deliberately hard to cancel. The websites involved have been recently created with hidden ownership, providing no accountability or means to track the operators. The “positive” comments and fake winners’ pop-ups are fabricated to manipulate you into believing in the legitimacy of the offer.
Bottom Line: Avoid any “Costco meat box giveaway” offers circulating on social media that require you to fill out quick forms or pay small fees upfront. They are scams designed to steal your personal data and money through deceptive subscription traps. Always verify offers through official company channels and be extremely cautious when a deal sounds too good to be true, especially when promoted through unverified Facebook posts and sketchy websites. Stay vigilant and protect your information by steering clear of such fraudulent schemes.
