BankingBusinessCelebratiesEducationInternationalTop Stories

Did Honey Just Pull Off the Scam of the Decade?

Imagine this: a browser extension that promises to save you money while secretly scamming some of the biggest influencers on the internet. Intrigued? You should be, because this honey-coated scheme is as slick as it is shady. Buckle up—this is the breakdown you didn’t know you needed.  


 

### What is Honey?  

If you’ve shopped online, you’ve probably heard of Honey. It’s a browser extension that claims to save you money by automatically applying coupon codes at checkout. Sounds amazing, right? Well, not so fast. Beneath its sweet promises lies a scam that quietly hijacked affiliate commissions, duped influencers, and misled millions of users.  

### The Hustle: How Honey Played the Game  

Here’s the short version: Honey was using a sneaky tactic to steal affiliate commissions from the influencers who promoted it. Confused? Let’s break it down:  

1. **Affiliate Marketing 101**  

   Influencers earn money through affiliate links. They promote a product or service, share a special link, and get a cut of the sale when their followers make a purchase.  

2. **The Last-Click Attribution Rule**  

   Most affiliate systems operate on “last-click attribution.” This means whoever provides the *last* link clicked before a purchase gets the credit—and the commission.  

3. **Honey’s Sneaky Move**  

   Just before you hit “buy,” Honey would step in, run a quick search for coupon codes, and replace the influencer’s affiliate link with their own. Even if Honey didn’t find a discount, they’d hijack the credit. Essentially, influencers did the hard work of driving sales, while Honey swooped in at the last second to cash in.  

5 Years Visa To UK

### Misleading Customers: The Other Side of the Scam  

But wait, there’s more. Honey wasn’t just scamming influencers; they were also pulling a fast one on customers. While claiming to find the “best deals,” they were caught working with businesses to limit the coupon codes shown. That’s right—they made it *look* like you were getting the best discount, even when better deals were available elsewhere.  

For five years, this scheme flew under the radar. Influencers kept promoting Honey, customers kept using it, and the company laughed all the way to the bank.  

 


### The Fallout  

The scam was finally exposed in a viral video that garnered over 10 million views in just five days. The internet was *shook*. Big names like Marques Brownlee and MrBeast—who had promoted Honey—found themselves caught in the crossfire.  

While Honey hasn’t issued a clear response, the damage to their reputation is done. What started as a tool to “save you money” has been revealed as a double-dealing, commission-hijacking machine.  

### What Can We Learn?  

1. **Not Everything That Glitters Is Gold**  

   Or in this case, not everything that saves you money is as sweet as it seems. Always dig a little deeper into “free” services that promise too much.  

2. **Protect Your Affiliate Links**  

   If you’re an influencer or marketer, stay vigilant. Tools like Honey can undercut your hard work in the blink of an eye.  

3. **Be a Smart Shopper**  

   Don’t rely solely on browser extensions for discounts. Take a few extra seconds to search for deals manually—you might be surprised what you find.  

So, there you have it: the rise and fall of Honey’s scam empire. If you enjoyed this exposé and want more deep dives into internet hustles, hit that subscribe button (or bookmark this page). Let’s keep shining a light on these shady schemes—because knowing is half the battle.  

Stay sharp, stay savvy, and always question what seems too good to be true.

5 Years Visa To UK

What's your reaction?

Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0

You may also like

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in:Banking