Coronavirus scams are flooding the Internet from every alley, and the latest one may be in a text message from a friend If you've been asked to click on a link offering a $100 gift card from Starbucks, don't click

The link says, "Apologies for closing; get a $100 Starbucks card"

In fact, I had several friends send me this link and ask me to support their chances of getting a dozen or so free macchiatos At first glance, I thought, "Sure, if you treat me to one!" but I soon realized that the link was totally bogus

Clicking on the link took me to yet another amateur site promising me a $100 Starbucks card

"We appreciate your understanding in these uncertain times says the site, but there is no information about who "we" are or what terms and conditions apply

This site generates links that you can send to your friends The page keeps track of how many people click on your custom link, and it is said that the higher the tally, the more likely you are to receive a gift card

After checking with a few friends, we found that this scam is spreading quickly among texting and social media It is especially popular among people in their late teens and early twenties, and is spreading rapidly on Twitter and in group chats with entire college classes

It is unclear what the purpose of this lure is, but one can only assume it is not a good one and hope that Starbucks can get ahead of this dubious social distancing ploy

While the government has made cracking down on coronavirus scammers a priority, there are many coronavirus malware e-mails circulating

Because of this surge in suspicious activity, we have created a guide with advice on coronavirus scams to help you protect yourself and your data from scammers