Scammers using fake Coles and Woolworths offers to trick customers
Scammers are targeting loyal Coles and Woolworths shoppers with fake emails and text messages offering customers special deals and free gift cards.
Shoppers have been using Facebook to ask whether gift card offers on their emails and phones are legitimate, with the supermarkets clarifying that these offers are the work of scammers.
The supermarkets are urging shoppers to report these fake offers to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, with hundreds of thousands of dollars lost each month by these brand impersonations.
Many customers have been concerned by an email purporting to be from Woolworths, which mentions last week’s payments error that saw some customers being double charged for groceries.
Facebook users shared how they’ve received short text messages purporting to be from Coles, which asks customers to click on a link to claim a prize.
Other messages offer “lucky” customers a gift card of $2000.
“This has no association with Coles in any way. We would appreciate you reporting this and any similar emails you may have received to the ACCC,” the Coles social media team told customers.
Woolworths customers have been referred to the supermarket’s “Scam Alerts” page which includes screenshots and advice on current scams that are circulating.
Woolworths are encouraging shoppers to report any suspicious activity to the hoax inbox. Woolworths has also highlighted that they will never "send you an email asking you to click on an attachment”.
In recent years, Aldi, IGA, Myer and David Jones have also been hit by scam artists impersonating their brands.
There has been a dramatic increase in 2017 of scams being sent through text message offers.
Cybersecurity firm MailGuard has said imitation of brands are increasing in “frequency and sophistication”.