Fake Discount Codes on Facebook
Fraudulent discount code promotions on Facebook direct users to phishing sites or generate illegitimate affiliate income while providing no genuine saving.
Part of: Fake Discount Codes
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Facebook's sharing culture means that discount codes spread rapidly between users and within Groups. A single fake discount code post shared among thousands of members of a deals or savings group can direct large numbers of people to fraudulent websites.
Facebook Groups dedicated to couponing, cashback deals, and consumer savings are particularly targeted by fake discount code campaigns because their members are specifically seeking bargains and are primed to act on discount information.
How this scam works on Facebook
A post in a Facebook deals group or on a page shares an apparently time-limited discount code for a well-known brand or retailer. The code links to a website that is a phishing copy of the genuine retailer — the checkout captures payment details rather than processing a genuine discounted sale.
Alternatively, the code is legitimate but directs buyers through a fraudulent affiliate tracking link that assigns commission from genuine sales to a scammer who has registered with the retailer's affiliate programme using false information.
Some fake code operations are designed to harvest personal data through a code registration form rather than to process fraudulent payments.
Common red flags
- Discount offer in a Facebook Group is much larger than comparable genuine deals
- Post is shared by an account with no personal profile content
- The linked URL is slightly different from the genuine retailer's domain
- Code registration requires information beyond an email address
- Comments on the post are positive but lack specificity about the discount experience
- Post was created recently and shared to many groups in a short time
How to protect yourself
- Verify discount codes by navigating directly to the retailer's official website
- Compare the URL in any Facebook-linked discount promotion against the genuine retailer domain
- Do not enter payment details on a site reached through a Facebook post without independently verifying the URL
- Report fake discount posts in Facebook Groups using the group's report function
- Notify the genuine retailer whose brand is being exploited
How to report it
- Report the Facebook post and the account sharing it using the platform's report function
- Notify the retailer through their official fraud or customer service contact
- Report to your national consumer protection body if personal data was captured
Frequently asked questions
A deals group admin verified the discount code themselves in a pinned post — is that trustworthy?
Group admins can be genuinely mistaken, complicit, or themselves running the scam, so a pinned endorsement is not independent verification. Still check the code directly on the retailer's own website before using a link from any group post.
I used a fake discount code and now I'm getting suspicious emails — what should that tell me?
This suggests your email address, and potentially other details entered at checkout, were captured and are now being used or sold for further phishing attempts. Be cautious of any follow-up email referencing the 'order,' don't click its links, and monitor your accounts for unauthorized activity.
Should I leave a Facebook deals group after seeing one fake discount post in it?
Not necessarily — many deals groups are genuine and helpful, and admins often remove scam posts once reported. It's reasonable to report the specific post, verify future codes independently, and stay in the group if it otherwise proves reliable.
Are Facebook deal groups a safe source for discount codes?
Many genuine deal groups exist on Facebook, but they also attract scam posts. Always verify a discount code independently on the retailer's official website rather than clicking a link from any social media post, however trustworthy the group appears.