There’s always another scam just around the corner. And with these jokers in Scamdinavia, nothing is sacred. Please watch out for the Girl Scout Cookie Scam, circulating on Facebook and possibly other social media.

The Scam

You might already know this scam, but it’s still worth broadcasting. Because the Girl Scout brand is so endearing and trustworthy, some people are getting fooled by this nonsense. Check out these examples of the scam I’ve collected from Facebook:

The Girl Scout Cookie Scam
The Girl Scout Cookie Scam
The Girl Scout Cookie Scam

Let me be clear: These posts are not legitimate, not endorsed by The Girl Scouts of America and not created by anyone in this country. People in Kenya or Pakistan have created sock puppet accounts on Facebook, stolen a bunch of photos with kids and cookies in them, and are simply posing and fishing for quick money.

Anyone who messages these schemers will be asked to pay for their cookies using Paypay, Venmo, CashApp, etc.. The poster collects the money and pretends to take down the address, and asks the victim to wait a couple of weeks for delivery. When the delivery day passes and no cookies arrive, the crook will be long gone.

What’s Scammy and What’s Legit?

Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to get your Girl Scout Cookies from a safe source. Here’s what to look out for:

  • A legitimate Girl Scout Cookie post will offer specific details, like:
    • A URL to the Cookie Finder, or a personalized website for ordering, beginning with “gsdigitalcookie.com”
    • The time and location where the kiddos will be setting up to sell their cookies in-person
    • A variety of payment options, and no sense or urgency (pay when the cookies arrive)
  • A scam post will seem fishy, if you take notice:
    • the child’s name or troop is not mentioned
    • the cookie prices are wrong or too low
    • the posting account is no one you know and you have no mutual Facebook friends with them
    • the post has commenting turned off

If you see a scam post on Facebook, report it to the group’s admin or moderator. You can report it to Facebook, too, but they are unlikely to do anything.

For more info on how to get these delicious cookies, check out the Girls Scouts Cookie Program website.