Scamwatch warning: the Coles $500 gift card offer is a scam
Coles is cautioning customers about a new email scam that offers random recipients a free $500 gift card in exchange for a few personal details and liking its Facebook post.
The shopping chain is warning customers to ignore the fake message.
This new scam is another in a long line of email scams using major retailers’ brands to ‘phish’ for personal details.
Woolworths, JB Hi Fi and Bunnings are just some of the stores being used as a front for fake emails.
The Coles email reads: “Congratulations! Your email address was selected! Please make sure you claim your chance to receive this $500 Coles gift card”.
Once clicked, customers are led to a social media page, asked for personal details and then to share or like its Facebook post in exchange for a gift card. If customers click any of the links they’ll unsuspectingly download malicious software. Upon closer inspection, you’ll also note that the unsubscribe email address is based in New York.
Coles has released a warning statement about the scam, informing customers that “These offers predominantly attempt to collect your personal details or financial information. Coles will never request personal or banking details in unsolicited communications. Coles will never request personal or banking details in unsolicited communications”.
Cybersecurity experts are warning Australians not to be conned by increasingly sophisticated phishing scams such as this one from Coles and to report any such activity to Scamwatch.
Have you received the Coles gift card scam? Are there any other retailer scams you’d like to report to our members?
I did receive one of these emails and did not respond to it. I got caught once before - a few years ago. Thankfully that scam was only signing me up to a zillion other catelogue sites. However it took me ages to unsubscribe all of them. Best to ignore all of them - if it looks too good as the saying goes ........