Publix mystery shopper scam making the rounds

As the weather cools down, the grocery scams are heating up again! The regional grocery chain Publix is the latest to have its name and image appropriated without its knowledge.

Read more: 10 surprises you probably didn’t know about Publix

Beware of this Publix mystery shopper pitch

The post now making the rounds—this one coming from a dubious organization called Product Testing USA—is an offer of $100 to become a mystery shopper at Publix.

The only problem is Publix denies anything to do with the offer!

“No, it is not Publix, and we are not affiliated with it in anyway at all,” Publix Spokesman Brian West told WTSP.

Just the latest in a round of bogus pitches

This isn’t the first time Publix has been a target for criminals. Over the summer, we first heard about an online coupon purporting to offer $75 off a purchase of $80 or more. The image used on that post featured Publix’s logo and trademark phrase, ‘Where shopping is a pleasure,’ in addition to having an LU number for a cashier to ring up.

The fake coupon was supposedly tied to the 89th anniversary of Publix. However, the first Publix store opened in 1930. So that makes this year the 86th anniversary of the supermarket, not the 89th.

Publix quickly alerted shoppers about the fraud via its Facebook page.

‘This is not supported by Publix and this coupon is not valid at any of our locations,’ the company wrote. ‘We recommend not participating in the promotion or providing your personal information. Thank you for your patience as we investigate this situation.’

Meanwhile, you can stay on top of Clark’s scam alerts right here at Clark.com!

Read more: 8 things you probably didn’t know about Trader Joe’s

Kitchen apps that will reduce your food costs