Whenever Starbucks offers a deal or promotion, we’re not ashamed to admit that we’ll be the first one rushing to our nearest Starbs in order to get our hands on free or discounted caffeine – but there’s one Starbucks promo currently making its rounds on the Internet that you should definitely steer clear of.
BuzzFeed News reports that members of the message board site 4chan quietly plotted a fake promotion in order to lure undocumented immigrants into Starbucks stores on August 11 and presumably, catch them for being undocumented.
They’ve called the awful promotion “Dreamer Day,” creating super realistic posters advertising 40% off the entire menu for undocumented immigrants. While tons of social media users have already spread the promotion thinking it was real, an error in the spelling of ‘Frappuccino’ has (thankfully) allowed some people to realize that something was a bit… off about the whole thing.
#BorderFreeCoffee @Starbucks #FightFascism
Stunning and Brave pic.twitter.com/sMcDcEjrFM— Venant (@VenantDeserod) August 3, 2017
Luckily, Starbucks is already working on damage control and setting the record straight. The company has already responded to many of the fake posters circulating the Internet tweeting, “This is completely false. Starbucks is not sponsoring any such event. Please do not spread misinformation.”
This is completely false. Starbucks is not sponsoring any such event. Please do not spread misinformation.
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) August 4, 2017
While the company has yet to release an official statement about the cruel “Dreamer Day” campaign, a few Internet heroes are spreading the word that it’s actually just a hateful scam. (And let’s be honest, 40% off anything at Starbucks was kind of hard to believe in the first place anyways.)
Told my partner about the fake #borderfreecoffee and her response was “do white people think we’re that dumb?”.
— Rizzo (@queerbrutality) August 6, 2017
This is really scummy.
— mogwai (@mandobackwards) August 6, 2017